Game plan for this snowstorm is a winner
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It's all about experience, even in a snowstorm.
Flash back nearly a year ago and you might recall a snowstorm that trapped the Celtics in their practice facility until about midnight and froze traffic on Interstate 95 to the point Glen Davis may or may not have driven on the wrong side of the road to get home (he pleaded the fifth), and Kevin Garnett wound up hopping out of his car and into a crowd of reveling snow-goers to stretch his legs.
Not to say that you get used to weather like yesterday's, but at the very least most of the players knew what to expect.
"We were there for about eight hours last year," said Rajon Rondo. "It took us three hours to get home and a lot of us live right around the corner.
"We never know what to expect, so it's always good to be prepared."
Knowing how messy the roads can get, the Celtics yesterday booked hotel rooms downtown, and coach Doc Rivers gave players the choice of heading there before the game to beat the weather.
"You've got to prepare if something happens," Rivers said. "Last year, we got stuck out [in Waltham]. Don't take the chance. I told the guys it's up to them. They take the chance and they're not there [at the game] . . ."
Everyone made it, however.
Several players, including Kendrick Perkins and Rondo, jumped on the offer, avoiding the hassle. And although Ray Allen did not stay in the hotel, he got to the Garden at 2:45, almost an hour-and-a-half before he usually arrives.
He couldn't help but remember the last time he got caught in a snowstorm . . . on his way to Boston. He was in Milwaukee and the Bucks had played New Jersey when a snowstorm nearly stopped them from coming to play the Celtics.
The Bucks took the train to Boston.
"You couldn't see anything but the end of the rail," he said.
The weather does nothing to help the Celtics the next few days.
Monday will be the team's only practice with games at home tomorrow (New York) and Tuesday (Philadelphia), and on the road Thursday (Lakers).
Actually, word came down about the oil-slick point guard in a phone call from Rivers's brother. With a state tournament run on the line ("East almost never loses," said Rivers), Rose came along and Simeon knocked out East Proviso in 2004. Not long after the game, Rivers got a call from his brother, who told him, "We got one. We got a star coming."
Through 26 games with the Bulls, Rose's 17.5-points-per-game average is second among rookies (behind O.J. Mayo of Memphis) and his 6.3 assists tops first-year players. He had 14 points and five assists in last night's loss to the Celtics.
"He's just tough," Rivers said. "He's flashy because he's so quick. But he just plays basketball. He doesn't really get into the individual competitions. You can see him in games when he's playing other great point guards. He's just playing the game. And I love that about him. He's going to be a great leader because he leads with his toughness and his play."
The best player to come out of Chicago, in Rivers's opinion, is Isiah Thomas, a product of St. Joseph High in Westchester.
"He did everything better," Rivers said. "I think he's one of the greatest ballhandlers, probably one of the greatest players, to ever play in the NBA."
