Ray Allen's status for Game 1 of the Boston Celtics' first-round series against the Atlanta Hawks is obviously in question after he missed the last nine games with a sore right ankle. Head coach Doc Rivers is willing to give him a fair shot at playing, however, saying that the guard had a "60 percent" chance of playing in Sunday's opening game of the 2012 NBA Playoffs.
Ray Allen Injury: Celtics Guard Has ‘60 Percent Chance’ Of Playing In Game 1 Vs. Hawks
“I don’t know if I am confident or not, I don’t have an answer,” Rivers said. “I have no status. If (75 percent) is probable, I would probably lower that to 60 percent. How about that?”
Allen hasn’t been able to run on the floor in practice over the past several days, but Rivers said that may not matter. As long as the veteran is on the floor, opponents have to respect his shot, which will create open looks for his teammates.
“If he’s ready to play, we’re going to play him,” Rivers said. “Whether he has rhythm or can make shots, the game will dictate that. Our guys will dictate that. But I’d like to see him on the floor because like I said, rhythm or no rhythm, if I tell Ray to stand in the corner, someone’s going to stand next to him and that creates spacing for us.”
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