March 2003 Boston Celtics Wiretap

Silas picked Davis deal

Dec 21, 2003 10:29 AM

Former Cavaliers and now-Celtics guard Ricky Davis was definitely on the way out in Cleveland and it was head coach Paul Silas who choose the deal.

"It has been learned that Paxson was making tentative deals with Minnesota, Miami and Dallas before the Boston package was accepted. The plans were laid out on the table for Silas and he took the defensive-minded veterans (Eric Williams, Tony Battie, and Kedrick Brown from the Celtics) because that's what he covets more than slick shooters and athletic specimens."

Brian Windhorst of the Akron Beacon Journal

Tags: Boston Celtics, Cleveland Cavaliers, NBA

Discuss
Finley to miss games in Boston, Minnesota

Dec 17, 2003 2:00 AM

DALLAS (AP) Injured Dallas Mavericks players Michael Finley and Shawn Bradley will miss the team's next two games against Boston and Minnesota.

Finley is out with a sprained right toe. Bradley has back spasms.

The Mavericks will return to Dallas following their back-to-back set in Boston on Wednesday and Minnesota the following night. They play at home against the Los Angeles Clippers on Saturday night.

Associated Press

Tags: Boston Celtics, Dallas Mavericks, Minnesota Timberwolves, NBA

Discuss
Former Boston star Walker returns

Dec 16, 2003 11:01 PM

BOSTON (AP) If Antoine Walker is booed in Boston, he'll be used to it. Even when he played for the Celtics, home fans hooted at his off-target shots.

``I'm not really worried about it,'' he said on Tuesday as he prepared for his homecoming game. ``I went through some boo years up there when we weren't playing well.''

With the Celtics struggling, fans are unlikely to greet Walker warmly when he returns Wednesday night with Midwest Division leader Dallas.

``We're faced with another obstacle,'' Celtics guard Paul Pierce said. ``Hopefully, things will work out.''

The first obstacle was the five-player trade Oct. 20 that sent Walker to the Mavericks. The latest is Monday's six-player swap that brought Ricky Davis from Cleveland and cost the Celtics reliable veterans Eric Williams and Tony Battie, who were prized by coach Jim O'Brien.

The players the Celtics acquired for Walker and guard Tony Delk haven't done much.

Raef LaFrentz played 17 of the team's 25 games and is expected to miss the rest of the season after knee surgery Monday. Chris Mills isn't likely to return either. Both are on the injured list.

Only swingman Jiri Welsch has helped. He won the starting forward job, averaging 6.2 points per game. But he could lose his starting job to Davis.

Walker is averaging 18.2 points per game and he scored 27 in Monday night's win over Toronto. He leads Dallas with 10 rebounds per game and is second with an average of 4.7 assists.

Walker even took a shot at Danny Ainge, Boston's executive director of basketball operations, who made the trades. He called Ainge a ``snake'' in a Boston Globe interview last week and said, ``I think he was really trying to set my career back a little bit.''

Ainge backed off any confrontation.

``I'm not going to get into a squabble with Antoine Walker,'' he said. ``I knew that this (trade) might be a step backward.''

Ainge is planning for the long term. He prefers an up-tempo attack and thought Walker handled the ball too much and took too many 3-pointers that clanged off the rim at critical moments.

So Ainge traded his star and captain, who averaged 20.8 points in seven seasons with Boston.

Dallas coach Don Nelson advised Walker to ``let that go'' and on Tuesday, the player complied.

``It's over with for me,'' he said. ``I have nothing else further to say about Danny or about that situation. I wish those guys luck.''

The Celtics reached the Eastern Conference finals in 2002 and the semifinals last season, but only four players remain from last year's squad.

Boston is 12-13 after Monday's loss to Minnesota ended a five-game winning streak. Meanwhile, the Mavericks have the third best record in the tough Western Conference.

``My goals are much different than their goals,'' Walker said. ``What we're trying to establish and accomplish here is much different than what they're trying to do up there, obviously.''

Walker shrugged off the homecoming.

``It's the same like every other game,'' he said. ``I want to play well against everybody.''

But he's eager to see his former teammates, although three of them left Monday for Cleveland.

``It's always nice to go back and play against your old teammates,'' he said. ``Man, there ain't too many of them left now.''

Pierce, Boston's lone star after Walker left, is one of them.

``I can't wait for it, to see him. He's having a great year so far for the Mavericks,'' Pierce said. ``I don't know if they'd be where they are without him.''

Associated Press

Tags: Boston Celtics, Dallas Mavericks, NBA

Discuss
LaFrentz out for season?

Dec 16, 2003 2:00 AM

BOSTON (AP) Celtics forward-center Raef LaFrentz is expected to miss the rest of the season after undergoing knee surgery Monday.

LaFrentz had been on the injured list with tendinitis in his right knee.

The surgery went ``better than expected,'' said Danny Ainge, Boston's executive director of basketball operations.

LaFrentz played in 17 of Boston's 25 games, including one start, since joining the Celtics on Oct. 20 in a deal that sent Antoine Walker to Dallas. LaFrentz is averaging 7.8 points and 4.6 rebounds in 19.3 minutes.

Associated Press

Tags: Boston Celtics, NBA

Discuss
Davis bound for Beantown

Dec 15, 2003 11:00 PM

CLEVELAND (AP) Guard Ricky Davis was traded by the Cleveland Cavaliers to the Boston Celtics in a six-player deal Monday, a source within the NBA told The Associated Press.

The Cavs sent Davis, Chris Mihm, Michael Stewart and a draft pick that they acquired from Boston as part of the Jumaine Jones deal to the Celtics for Eric Williams, Tony Battie and Kedrick Brown, the source said on condition of anonymity.

The deal was first reported by ESPN.com.

Associated Press

Tags: Boston Celtics, Cleveland Cavaliers, NBA

Discuss
Davis traded to Boston

Dec 15, 2003 4:33 PM

"Two league sources told Insider that the Celtics and Cavaliers have agreed to a trade that will send Ricky Davis, Chris Mihm and Michael Stewart to Boston for Eric Williams, Tony Battie and Kedrick Brown."

The trade is expected to be announced later today.

ESPN

Tags: Boston Celtics, Cleveland Cavaliers, NBA

Discuss
Knee surgery KOs LaFrentz

Dec 13, 2003 9:58 AM

"Raef LaFrentz stayed home last night as his Celtics teammates headed for the airport and a flight to Cleveland for tonight's game against the Cavaliers. On Monday, LaFrentz is scheduled for season-ending surgery to correct the ongoing, relentless, and extremely painful tendinitis that has bothered him all season."

"It's hard to miss this much time with an injury," said LaFrentz, whose first Celtics season will consist of 17 games, the finale being last night's 18-minute, 9-point submission in Boston's 114-111 victory over Toronto. "I feel like I've been playing at half-speed out there in games and not getting a lot done in practice. I've done everything the staff has suggested, but it just hasn't gotten any better. I just feel now is the time."

Peter May of the Boston Globe

Tags: Boston Celtics, NBA

Discuss
NBA Today

Dec 13, 2003 1:30 AM

WASHINGTON (AP) Sam Cassell scored 25 points, Kevin Garnett had 23 points and 16 rebounds and Minnesota made 17 of its first 22 shots in a 110-91 victory Friday night over the Washington Wizards.

It was the fourth straight road victory for Minnesota, which got 21 points from Latrell Sprewell and 16 from Gary Trent. The Timberwolves have beaten Washington five straight times.

Larry Hughes led the Wizards with 16 and Christian Laettner added 14. Washington has dropped three straight and seven of eight.

Washington got within 84-81 on Laettner's basket early in the fourth quarter before the Timberwolves pulled away with a 14-2 run.

Nuggets 86, 76ers 77

PHILADELPHIA (AP) Andre Miller had 23 points and Marcus Camby had 16 points and 17 rebounds. Each of Denver's starters scored in double figures as the vastly-improved Nuggets snapped a two-game losing skid.

Kenny Thomas had 19 points and 12 rebounds and Eric Snow had 14 points and 11 assists for the Sixers, who had won three straight.

Allen Iverson, back after missing one game with a knee injury, missed 16 of 22 shots and finished with 18 points. Glenn Robinson, who had missed the last 15 games with a sprained left ankle, had six points.

The Nuggets (14-8) are off to their best start since the 1989-90 season.

Celtics 114, Raptors 111

BOSTON (AP) Paul Pierce had 33 points and 11 rebounds, leading the Celtics to their fourth straight win and snapping Toronto's five-game winning streak.

Vince Carter, who scored 35, missed a 3-pointer at the buzzer that would have tied it. The loss was the Raptors' first since their six-player trade with Chicago. Toronto surrendered 100 points for the first time in 23 games.

The Celtics, who didn't crack the century mark until the 15th game of the season, have now scored 100 or better in their last five games.

Pacers 103, Hawks 92

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) Fred Jones took over after Al Harrington left with an injury, scoring a career-high 18 points.

Harrington had a strong first half before leaving with a bruised right cheekbone, scoring nine points on 4-of-4 shooting with three assists as the Pacers built a 52-35 lead.

The Hawks rallied in the third quarter behind Shareef Abdur-Rahim, who scored 10 of his 19 points in the quarter, but Jones had 13 points in the fourth as the Pacers were able to increase the lead with Jermaine O'Neal in foul trouble and Harrington out with the injury.

Jason Terry had 18 points, five rebounds and four assists for the Hawks, who lost their sixth straight road game.

Heat 91, Grizzlies 88

MIAMI (AP) Lamar Odom scored a season-high 29 points and the Miami Heat held off a rally to prevent the Grizzlies from setting a franchise record for consecutive wins.

Odom also had 14 rebounds, Dwyane Wade scored 14 and Brian Grant had 11 points and 13 rebounds for Miami, which has won six of eight home games. Rafer Alston added 11 points and a season-high seven assists.

Pau Gasol scored 19 points and Earl Watson 16 for Memphis, which trailed by 16 at halftime and by nine after three quarters. The Grizzlies, trying to win a franchise-record seventh consecutive game and move five games above .500 for first time in team history, led just once the entire game despite putting five players in double figures.

MORE

Associated Press

Tags: Boston Celtics, Denver Nuggets, Indiana Pacers, Minnesota Timberwolves, NBA

Discuss
Baker out sick again

Dec 9, 2003 9:56 AM

Celtics forward Vin Baker missed his first game of the season last night, when he stayed at the team hotel with the flu while his teammates smothered the Utah Jazz, 102-80, at the Delta Center.

    ``He's really ill,'' coach Jim O'Brien said.

Boston Herald

Tags: Boston Celtics, NBA

Discuss