|
COPYRIGHT 2001 Sporting News Publishing Co.
Ray Allen has taken his play to new heights in the postseason, making the Bucks serious contenders in the East
The precision with which Ray Allen plays basketball would make a Swiss watchmaker jealous.
Tick, tock. Allen connects on a 3-pointer from the corner. Tick, tock. Allen drives to the hoop and dishes to Glenn Robinson for a basket. Tick, tock. Allen runs off a couple of screens to receive the ball on the wing. Tick, tock. Allen drains two free-throw attempts. Tick, tock. Allen finishes the game with 28 points, nine assists and three rebounds. Tick, tock. Chalk up another win for Allen and the Bucks.
But lately, something about Ray Allen isn't so precise, so dean-cut It's that beard. True, it's a tiny, goatee-wannabe type of beard, but it's there, sitting on his chin. Allen meant to shave it off but, in a nod to playoff superstition, he is keeping the tuff.
The beard, or mini-beard as it may be, seems out of place on Allen's face. After all, Allen is the guy with the pleasant demeanor and well-rounded off-the-court existence. But aside from being one of the NBA's last Boy Scouts in an era of bombastic personalities and impossible-to-measure egos, Allen's game, which has been good with glimpses of greatness in his first five NBA seasons, has reached another level in these playoffs.
In the Bucks' first-round series against the Magic, Allen's performance was overshadowed by Tracy McGrady's coming-out party. Still, Allen averaged 24.5 points and made 54.5 percent of his shots in the series, finishing off the Magic with 26 points on sizzling 9-of-13 shooting in Game 4. Allen's hot streak continued into the conference semifinals against the Hornets, as he averaged 23.3 points the first four games of the series.
This is Allen's first trip to the conference semifinals. The past two seasons, Allen's Bucks have been bounced in the first round. Despite being a playoff novice, Allen understands the pressure to perform well in the postseason. He has learned by being a student of the game. What Allen used...
Read the full article for free courtesy of your local library.
|
Bookmark this article
Print this article
Link to this article
Email this article
Digg It!
Add to del.icio.us
RSS
