Celtics notebook

Allen up for trip to inaugural

Veteran guard is awed by moment

Starters (from left) Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, and Rajon Rondo had a relaxing view from the bench during the fourth quarter of last night's rout. (Jim Davis/Globe Staff)

By Frank Dell'Apa

Globe Staff / January 20, 2009

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Celtics guard Ray Allen, managing director Steve Pagliuca, and strength and conditioning coach Bryan Doo planned to depart for Washington, D.C., after last night's 104-87 win over the Phoenix Suns in preparation for today's inauguration of Barack Obama.

Allen originally feared he would have to call off the trip since his tickets, supplied by Congressman Tim Johnson (R-Ill.), failed to arrive on time. Then Allen had to change plans to bring the rest of his family because of logistical problems involving his son.

The details squared away, Allen hired a private plane and will attend without the rest of his family, although he'll be accompanied by Pagliuca and friends.

"They're not allowing any bags of any sorts, strollers," Allen said. "We can't take the things necessary with us. The whole point would be to have [his children] be there to see it and it wouldn't make any sense if they couldn't. I was [disappointed]. We had this conversation, my wife and I, the boys being able to experience a historic event, something they will be able to talk about for the rest of their life - definitely, we will.

"But it just didn't work out for us. Obviously, the health of my kids is most important, and the weather is going to be pretty extreme, so those factors worked against us. We had it all laid out, but from a parental point of view, it seemed like the sensible thing to do."

"So much coverage has taken place the last couple days," Allen added. "Any inauguration, I don't remember this much coverage and this much anticipation, for obvious reasons, and to be there to document it, to take pictures, and to be able to talk about it.

"So many of my friends are driving down there just to be in the vicinity. I don't know what to expect. There's so much electricity and, going back to last season, we talked about the possibility of Obama being elected president.

"I think this is bigger than anything any of us have ever seen. We had a lot of debate about just what is going on in the world and how we have an impact and what we can do, and what the presidential election means to all of us."

The rest of the Celtics will depart for Miami at 8 this morning, in advance of tomorrow's game, coach Doc Rivers having changed the team flight to arrive in time to view the inauguration.

"We'll have a room reserved [at the hotel]," Rivers said. "Some of the guys may want to watch it in private - I probably do, myself. I don't want anybody's interpretation.

"I tend to try to interpret other things they [the players] didn't live through - they lived through this. I'm sure it will be a discussion on the team, just a natural conversation. Martin Luther King and the other people they are too young to know, that's different."

Rivers joked that guard Sam Cassell would compete verbally with Obama. "Sam would talk over Barack's whole speech," Rivers said.

Former Olympian Tommie Smith, who raised a black-gloved fist along with John Carlos during their 200-meters medal ceremony in the 1968 Games to call attention to the struggles of the civil rights movement, was honored at halftime last night. Carlos was also honored but unable to attend. Smith met the Celtics after the game.

"He huddled with us and I think we were all inspired by him just being in the room," Kevin Garnett said.

Dudley is happy

Former Boston College star Jared Dudley, who joined the Suns in a trade with Charlotte Dec. 10, scored 2 points in the final seven minutes.

"I'm excited to be here," Dudley said. "When I got traded I knew it would be a good fit."

"For me [Phoenix] is perfect weather-wise. But I definitely do love the East Coast."

Perkins to make trip

Center Kendrick Perkins (left shoulder) will travel with the Celtics for games at Miami and Orlando (Thursday). Guard Tony Allen (ankle) will not make the trip . . . Cassell, accompanied by former NBA star Reggie Miller, now a television commentator, jokingly appealed to Rivers for a chance to make his season debut following Rivers's pregame news conference. "I'll put Reggie in before I put you in there," Rivers said.

Marc J. Spears of the Globe staff contributed to this report.