Celtics head coach Doc Rivers has decided that Rasheed Wallace -- not Glenn Davis -- will replace Kendrick Perkins in the starting lineup for Game 7 Thursday night:
“He’s old. I figured I’d play the oldest guys,” Rivers joked before giving a serious explanation. “I just think it’s a good combination with Kevin [Garnett] because of the size, with Bynum’s size. I just think it’s a better fit for us.
“It also may give Rondo a chance to get loose early because of the spacing on the floor.”
The decision to go with a taller lineup against Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol also means that Glen Davis will come off the bench. Otherwise, Rivers doesn’t expect many other changes with the loss of Perkins to two torn ligaments in his right knee in Game 6.
“We’re not going to change a lot. We could, and if the game dictates that we need to do that, we’re ready to do it. But we’re not going to recreate the wheel tonight. We’re going to be basically who we’ve been. Not having Perk, we may have to do it a little different, but not much.”
Davis will no doubt see a lot of minutes in Game 7, especially if Wallace continues to shoot like he did in Game 6 (0-for-6 and 0-for-7 behind the arc). Then again, no one shot well in Game 6 except for Ray Allen.