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| Celtics guard Ray Allen will try to shoot through ankle pain if possible. (Getty Images) |
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Boston Celtics guard Ray Allen is headed for the operating table in the offseason. What happens between now and then is anybody's guess.
Celtics coach Doc Rivers said that Allen is "50-50" and is expected to be a game-time decision for the Celtics, who open their Eastern Conference first round playoff series against the Atlanta Hawks on Sunday, according to ESPNBoston.com.
"Probably game-time," Rivers said of Allen, who has not played in two weeks with a sore right ankle. "The way I think it'll probably end up, he'll go over and do his routine early, and honestly, if you want to gauge it, if he gets through his routine, which he hasn't been able to do the last two times he's tried to play, then he'll probably play.Allen, 36, played in 46 of Boston's 66 regular season games this season and hasn't played since April 10, sitting out Boston's final nine games.
Allen said this week that offseason surgery is "inevitable," according to the Boston Globe.
“I know it’s weak, but I still have pain in it,’’ said Allen. “It feels better. If I could, I would get surgery tomorrow. If it was the beginning of the season, I would have surgery.This season, Allen posted averages of 14.2 points, 3.1 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.1 steal in 34.0 minutes per game while shooting 45.8 percent from the floor.
“It’s just inevitable, talking to a couple of different doctors.”
