"He had scored a total of 21 points in 78 minutes, 39 seconds of these playoffs, but in Game 2 against the Cleveland Cavaliers, Rasheed Wallace managed to squeeze 17 points into 18:11.

Coach Doc Rivers just shrugged.

"Maybe he went into the 'Hot Tub Time Machine,' " Rivers said. "I'm not sure."

Or a shower. Kevin Garnett revealed on the team's radio broadcast following Monday night's 104-86 Game 2 win in Cleveland that he accosted Wallace in the bathing area after Game 1 and said the team needed more out of him. Garnett specifically requested 10 points and 10 rebounds, but the 17 with two boards were good enough.

"That probably screwed him up," a laughing Rivers said. "Whatever works, I'm all for it. But the guys talk to each other a lot. When a guy's not playing well for the team, obviously that guy has to have a meeting with the coach at some point. But what's going to get the guy going more is his teammates. That hasn't changed in 50 years."

And considering the way Sheed had been playing, he's probably relieved this wasn't the "Psycho" shower scene. His 1-for-5, two-point, three-foul "effort" in Game 1 might have been the low point in a somnambulant season.

Perhaps this latest game was simply a Sheedshank Redemption (copyright the Herald's Mark Murphy, second quarter, Monday).

Rivers was asked if Wallace was mentally into it during the season."