Allen's Ankle Key to Celtics Success

After dropping two consecutive games to the Washington Wizards, the Celtics bounced back last night with an exciting 100-90 victory over the Pacific Conference leading Portland Trailblazers.

While the victory and the opponent were noteworthy perhaps the most important outcome of last night’s game was the reemergence of Ray Allen’s scoring touch. Allen who led the Celtics with 35 points seemed to regain the offensive form that fans had become accustomed to going back to his days at Uconn.
Allen, who has been struggling with an ankle injury for over a month now, has proven to be vital to his squad’s offensive success. With Allen’s sharp-shooting in place the Celtics perimeter offense opens up allowing teammates Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce to flow freely through the offensive unit and rely on the ability to kick out to a waiting Allen to shoot the three. Without Allen at the top of his game, the Celtics ability to spread the ball all around the offensive end and find open men has suffered.

Ankle injuries take on an added importance when they occur with those who rely on their jump shot. Allen is such a player and it will be Allen’s ability to recover from his injury and improve this season’s career low field goal percentage that will go a long way in determining if the Celtics can maintain the break-neck pace that they have started the 2007-2008 season with.