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Etc.

Email|Link|Comments (0) Posted by Gary Dzen, Boston.com Staff December 5, 2008 07:20 PM

Seen and heard around the Garden before the game:

Rajon Rondo explaining to Eddie House that he wears a new pair of sneakers every two games, "if he can afford it,", before mentioning the possibility of getting "paid" with a long-term deal this summer.

Doc Rivers effusively praising Greg Oden: "He's going to be terrific. He's going to be a dominant player in this league sooner than people think. I believe that. I think it's difficult when you sit out a year, and then you play one game and get injured and now you're starting off behind again. But you can see each game he's catching up quickly."

Did Rivers think he would ever coach Oden a couple of years ago?

"I'm going to explain this to everyone," he said. "We didn't have the most ping pong balls. So the odds of getting the first pick were not as strong as everyone assumed. I really didn't think much about it."

Blazers foward Shavlik Randolph taking on all comers in games of one-on-one.

Oden postponing questions from reporters before the game to go to chapel.