Celtics' Allen is on the road to recovery
He travels with team but his return is two weeks away
ATLANTA - "
Tony Allen wasn't rapping to hip-hop music playing in his earphones. There was no trash talking with Eddie House, Paul Pierce, Rajon Rondo, or Kendrick Perkins. Allen didn't engage any of the media with his warm greeting of "What's up, homeboy?"
An injury has quieted one of the Celtics' most vibrant personalities. Allen is expected to return from left thumb surgery in two weeks, and the Celtics hope the Allen they know will be back soon.
"Hanging around a lot of the guys, they ask me, 'When are you coming back? We need you,' " Allen said Wednesday. "Rondo will tell me, 'You got to come back, man.' [Pierce] says, 'When you get back, we're going to be good.' They say a lot of encouraging things. But it's got to get done."
Allen is averaging 7.8 points, 2.1 rebounds, 1.3 assists, and 1.3 steals in 19.1 minutes in 40 games this season. He is also considered the Celtics' best defender off the bench. But after suffering a freak injury in practice after a bad fall, he had surgery and will miss his 20th straight game tonight when the Celtics take on Atlanta.
Allen also missed 13 games this season because of a right ankle sprain. He missed the first 23 games of the 2005-06 season, the final 48 games of the 2006-07 season with a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee suffered on a dunk attempt after the whistle, and wasn't at full strength last season as he tried to strengthen his surgically repaired left knee.
Allen realizes his issues with staying healthy are a big concern.
"My [left knee] injury was a freak accident," Allen said. "[The thumb injury] was a freak accident. The knickknack injuries, those are just regular NBA [injuries].
"But the ones I really look at is the freak injuries, like me going to a layup after the whistle, tripping in practice and falling [on the thumb], those are the ones that have held me back. Both of those times when I've had these surgeries, I was on the verge of trying to come out of my shadow."
On trying to raise Allen's spirits, House said, "We just try not to talk about it like he has not been hurt. The more you talk about it, the more you think about it. You just stay the same, joke, laugh, and help him out any way you can."
Allen will see a doctor Monday, hoping for good news.
"I'm waiting on the OK from the hand doctor so I can get another brace to do more active stuff, contact," he said. "That's all I'm waiting on right now. I'm not catching right now. I haven't caught no NBA pass. I can shoot jumpers. I tried to dribble a little bit."
Once Allen returns, the reserve guard position will be more crowded with the addition of Stephon Marbury. Allen said he and Marbury can be a "good tandem."
"I'm going to play within the system," Allen said. "I'm going to be more cheerful, happy knowing what's ahead. I'm going to do whatever [I can] to help. That's how I will fit in, basically."
"Tony at least knows our stuff," coach Doc Rivers said. "So he'll be a little easier [to integrate] even though he's been out for what feels like the year."
Allen's return will bring the Celtics closer to being healthy. Forward Brian Scalabrine is out indefinitely because of concussions, and forward-center Leon Powe is out until the playoffs with a strained right knee.
Allen joined the Celtics on their two-game trip. It's his first time being on the road with the team since his surgery Feb. 18, which Rivers said is an indication he will be playing soon.
"I've been missing a lot of those road trips," Allen said. "A lot of those road trips I just wanted to be around the guys and get that feeling of getting ready for games, seeing everybody's mental focus. Off the court, we laugh and joke. But we keep that goal in hand of what we need to do, keep that focus.
"But at home it was pretty much boring. Too boring. I'm glad to be back."
Said House: "T.A. is all jokes all day. It's good to have him back."
Tonight's game isn't bringing back memories of last season's first-round playoff series for everybody. "I wouldn't consider it a rivalry," Rondo said. "I don't think much of [the playoff series], really. I don't want to talk trash, but in my eyes [Atlanta's] not a rival. I don't know if anyone else considers [Atlanta] a rival." The Celtics lead this season's series, 2-0, with an average victory margin of 2 points. "The first one was a buzzer-beater in Boston, and I felt we controlled that whole game until the very end," Hawks coach Mike Woodson said. "And that game here [Dec. 17] was back and forth the entire way. We've just got to figure out a way to put together 48 solid minutes against that team like we did in those three playoff games [at home], because that's the only way you're going to beat them."
Marc J. Spears can be reached at mspears@globe.com 
