Magic center Dwight Howard throws down a two-handed slam for 2 of his 12 points.
(Matthew J. Lee/Globe Staff)
Celtics notebook
Allen's approach: Fire away
Magic center Dwight Howard throws down a two-handed slam for 2 of his 12 points.
(Matthew J. Lee/Globe Staff)
Ray Allen was only 4 for 28 on 3-pointers during this series as he went to fire away late in last night's 92-88 victory over the Magic. He did not hesitate, converting the shot that gave the Celtics their first lead since early in the first quarter.
"Just like any other shot," Allen said of the three that gave the Celtics an 86-85 lead with 80 seconds remaining. "I have that sense that if I'm having a tough shooting night or a great shooting night, the plays are the same.
"I shoot too much to even worry or think about if the ball is going to go in or not go in. [The Celtics] have the confidence in me, the people in the building have the confidence in me, I always feel them standing behind me. Mentally, I stay right in it. I focus on making plays, getting my teammates involved."
Allen also made key defensive plays down the stretch as the Celtics went on a 13-0 run over a 4:21 span to overcome a 10-point deficit.
"I tip my hat to them defensively," Allen said of the Magic. "Guys aren't leaving me. When there's penetration, they're standing there. Those easy shots, they're not there.
"We have to give credit to what they're doing on the floor. It's not like we're going to run them over and they're going to make us look good.
"They have quality players. [Hedo] Turkoglu, we all thought he should have made the All-Star Game. Rashard Lewis and Dwight Howard made it. We have to honor [Turkoglu's] talent, being able to shoot the ball and drive. They have guys who can really play. Our defensive awareness has to be up even more, because it can go either way with those guys and they can score 20 or 30 points."
No harm intended
Glen Davis provided the deciding field goal in the Celtics' 95-94 win in Game 4 and last night he hit two jumpers down the stretch on the way to scoring 22 points. But Davis was still answering to a charge that he shoved aside a young fan after hitting the winning basket in Sunday's game in Orlando. "I'm a big guy," Davis said. "So imagine my emotions going so wild and I'm running by somebody, I don't feel them. If I've hurt anybody or done anything wrong to anybody, please forgive me, because my intentions were harmless. I didn't see the kid. And, like I said, I'm a big guy and I'm emotional and I didn't see him. If I'd have seen him, I would have picked him up and rubbed his head and tried to make him feel better because, you know, I'm a big guy and I don't want to hurt anyone."Perk at work
Celtics center Kendrick Perkins played 35 minutes despite a left shoulder injury, scoring 6 points and grabbing 11 rebounds. Perkins, whose shoulder was wrapped in ice after the game, said he was no worse for the wear. "It's all right," he said. "It's not 100 percent, but a lot of guys aren't 100 percent. There's nothing I can do about it. Nothing I can complain about. I just got to go out there and play." . . . Forward Brian Scalabrine missed the team's morning shootaround because of illness but contributed 6 points in 18 minutes . . . Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge said Kevin Garnett's rehab from a knee injury is "going well," but when asked if Garnett was improving, Ainge said, "I don't know. I don't know what that means. No surgery set. But nothing's changed. We still are not planning on him playing." . . . The Eastern Conference finals will start either Monday or Wednesday, according to an NBA official.Michael Vega and Marc J. Spears of the Globe staff contributed to this report. 
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