"Ray Allen received two loud ovations last night. The second came when he walked into the Garden family room a little before 10:30.

As he walked down the hallway a short while later, he was surrounded by his home team. Had the Knicks blanketed Allen this well, it's more than likely he wouldn't have gotten the initial shower of love.

With 11.6 seconds left, Allen took a pass from Paul Pierce and doused the New York hopes with a 3-point dagger. It completed a 9-for-15, 24-point evening that reminded people that it's not wise to wonder about Father Timeless.

"We've ran that play many times in different situations," he said. "Sometimes the shot goes in; sometimes it doesn't. Sometimes Paul has the ball in his hands and he shoots it and he scores it. There are so many different options off of that play."

But last night Ray Allen was clearly the Celtics' best option. The ball left his hands with that same grace, rushing hard through the strings.

It's fair to say none of this surprised his compatriots.

"No, not at all," said Glen Davis. "I've seen it a million times."

On a night when all his teammates except Jermaine O'Neal were either hesitant or off the mark, Allen was the consistent thread of offense that kept the Celtics going. After the first quarter, that is."