http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/bk/bkn/5627752.html He's injured and yet he talks trash. Hope rockets get motivated from this and beat em bad. Celtics eyeing spoiler's role Boston welcomes opportunity to end Rockets' streak; bad ankle to keep Allen from playing By FRAN BLINEBURY Copyright 2008 Houston Chronicle But when you're the team that's had the best record in the NBA since opening night of the season, you can also look reality square in the eye and embrace the chance to break the Rockets' 22-game winning streak. "They're feeling real good about themselves, so regardless of what happens (against the Spurs), we're going to that building and they'll be on a high," said guard Ray Allen, who will sit out against the Rockets, missing his third straight game with a jammed left ankle. "What they've done has been amazing. They're going to see us, with that group of guys together, for the first time. So we look forward to getting in that building and showing them how we can play." After coming back to beat the Spurs 93-91, the Celtics have won 12 of their last 13 games as they arrive in Houston. "It's a great story in the NBA," Allen said. "On a day when Tiger Woods makes all the headlines Sunday, they're the No. 2 story in sports. To be able to do 22 wins, it doesn't matter who you did play or who you didn't play. Twenty-two wins is a great feat in any sport nowadays. "They've had a great run. We said last week that we wanted them to keep winning until we could do something about it." It's the attitude of the competitor who wants to try to clear the highest hurdle. It's never hard for the Celtics to root against the Lakers. But it especially easy Sunday, when L.A. could have ended the Rockets' streak. Tonight still would have been a big game on Boston's three-stop swing through Texas. But it would also have been anticlimactic. "Right. It's like a letdown," Allen said. "You want to be the one to take them out of that. It would be something for them to win out. That would be miraculous, unheard of. We want to be the team that comes in there and really gives it to them." The Celtics gave the Rockets one of only three losses of they've suffered in 2008, blowing a 20-point lead and then holding on for a 97-93 win in Boston on Jan. 2. Since that time, totally-remade and veteran-heavy Celtics with Kevin Garnett (31), Paul Pierce (30) and Allen (33) at their core have gotten even older, adding forward P.J. Brown (38) and guard Sam Cassell (38). The Celtics tied the best start in franchise history (33-7) through the first 40 games of the season and after finishing 24-58 last season, appear a lock to eclipse the best one-season turnaround in franchise history since a rookie named Larry Bird lifted a 29-53 team to 61-21 in 1979-80. They could even break the NBA record of a 36-game improvement by San Antonio in Tim Duncan's rookie year (1997-98). "It's all going well," said Cassell, the long ago ex-Rocket who had his contract bought out by the LA Clippers and signed with the Celtics on Mar. 4. "This team is just about complete. Everybody's just gotta do their part. "With these guys — Kevin, Paul and Ray — scoring the ball is not a problem for us. Getting stops is not a problem. The rest of us just got to fit in around them to be successful." After dropping three in a row when Garnett first returned to the lineup Feb. 19 following an abdominal injury, they had a 10-game roll of their own that was overshadowed by the Rockets' streak. "Age. Really. That's what has enabled us to have our success," said head coach Doc Rivers. "I just think they've matured enough at this point in their lives that it's not it's not about individual stuff. "If this group was all 25, I don't know that it would work. It would be great if it did. I know at this point you don't have to worry about guys worrying about the individual stuff. They've already had that. What's going to define their careers in the long run is whether they can win together." What would make a statement in the short term is bringing the streaking Rockets to a screeching halt. "They play as hard as any team I've seen," Rivers said. "They believe. "It's a great story because they, at some point, had to make a choice when Yao (Ming) went down. I think teams have to make a mental choice: 'Is it over? Or are we good? Can we do it?' They've made the right choice, and they're doing it by playing team basketball. "As a coach, player, challenges are good for you. Especially our team. All we've done is won a bunch of games in the regular season, and so have they. We both know that means basically zero when the playoffs start. "But I think challenges like that are fun, and it will be a lot of fun for us because they have a great streak going, one you might not see in our lifetime again. Someone's gonna do it. You would love to be that team." After putting down the Spurs, Cassell grinned. "You know what?" he asked. "We'll be there. We're coming. The Green Machine is coming."
Must be nice to be traded to a team with Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce. Now you can run yo mouth unlike in Seattle RAY!
So what exactly is wrong with what Ray Allen said? They want to be the ones to end the streak. Just like every other team in the league. And they are the best team in the league. He even went ahead and gave the Rockets their due props. Get over yourselves, homers.
"Right. It's like a letdown," Allen said. "You want to be the one to take them out of that. It would be something for them to win out. That would be miraculous, unheard of. We want to be the team that comes in there and really gives it to them." That statement right there is him basically sayings it'd be a miracle for the rockets to beat Boston. What cockiness. Even kobe gave us probs. Allen and boston is lucky to be in the east.
This doesn't sound like "trash talk" to me. He's giving us our props and then saying they want to be the ones that beat us. That's exactly what you want to hear. Trash talking would be something like "Houston is a bunch of scrubs, they haven't played anyone good at full strength, T-Mac sucks."
Yeah of course he'll give us probs for the streak, but his basically saying once we face them, it'd be impossible to beat them.
What does he mean by win out? Winning out the entire season? or win out of the celtics vs roxs matchup?
whats wrong with that...kobe gave us props just so we wouldbt get fired up. you want every team to worship us before they play?
wow are you guys serious? there was nothing wrong with what Ray said. he said what every opponent wants to do, break our streak. you guys are way too sensitive.
if the celts have that streak and a rocket says it, they get applauded on this board. guys, relax. we can be rocket fans, but don't be straight up crazy homers. EVERY TEAM wants to break this streak. they have THE BEST RECORD so obviously they think they can break this streak. nothing ray said was out of line.
Your homeristic eyes are reading what's not there. He said that if the Lakers had beaten Houston, it would've been a letdown because they want a chance to be the team that ends the streak. What is cocky about that? Seriously, some of you fans need to get over yourselves. If you were an NBA player, wouldn't you want to have a chance to go down in the history books as the team that ended one of the greatest streaks in league history?
