"Kevin Garnett was sounding his own version of an old alarm after the Celtics' 98-80 win over Memphis yesterday at TD Garden. Garnett had produced an efficient, team-oriented 24-point, nine-rebound performance. Then, he went tangential as he was asked about his three-game 3-pointer streak.

"Don't get used to it, y'all,'' Garnett said.

During a two-minute "One if by land, two if by sea, three if by Garnett'' monologue, he then expressed a desire to send his message from North Station to Concord and Lexington and across the country, justifying both his reluctance and sudden willingness to fire away from distance. Garnett was able to find a balance between defensiveness and humor with a spontaneous rap, his uninhibited reply also reflecting satisfaction with the Celtics' current winning ways.

"Listen, I can shoot threes,'' Garnett said. "Cut this, all right? Then I don't want no more questions. Y'all acting like I'm old, out here on one leg. Some nights are better - I'm human, I miss some, I make mistakes, but I can shoot threes."