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PHOENIX -- Playing without Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett on Wednesday against the Suns, the Celtics knew they were in line for a tougher-than-usual night at the office. They certainly didn't need one of the few healthy players who were left making things any more difficult than they already were, but that's exactly what Kendrick Perkins did late in the second quarter.Perkins picked up a technical foul for arguing with officials, after his team had worked hard to cut a 15-point Phoenix lead down to nine with just over three minutes left in the first half. It killed any momentum that Boston had going at the time, and while it likely had nothing to do with this particular game's ultimate result -- a 116-98 defeat -- it's not something that Doc Rivers let go unnoticed during his post-game remarks.
"He's just got to get better, and I told him that at halftime," Rivers said. "You know, we cut it to nine points, and then he gets a tech -- I have no idea over what. He's got to grow up. He's got to get better, there's no doubt about it."
The technical foul that Perkins picked up in Phoenix was his tenth of the season, which ties him for the league lead -- with teammate Rasheed Wallace. The fact that Boston has two players that are on the referees' radar, along with plenty of other vocal veterans such as Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce, is one of the reasons that Rivers is looking to Perkins to clean up his act.
"[The officials] are going to listen to Kevin, they're going to listen to Ray a little bit, they're going to listen to Paul," Rivers said. "They have to listen to Rasheed. They're not going to listen to anyone else -- that's enough. Hell, I find myself sitting more than I've ever sat in my career, because of the verbal stuff."
"[The officials] are going to listen to Kevin, they're going to listen to Ray a little bit, they're going to listen to Paul. They have to listen to Rasheed. They're not going to listen to anyone else -- that's enough."
- Doc Rivers Ray Allen, one of the team's vaunted Big Three and a veteran who, for the most part, stays out of the officials' way, didn't comment specifically on Perkins. But generally speaking, it was clear that he doesn't like it when his teammates are doing anything that can adversely affect the outcomes of their games.
"Anytime we hurt ourselves, it hurts," Allen said. "Anytime you do something to jeopardize the team, whether you're not getting back on defense or you get a technical foul, I mean, all those things are giving points to the other team. And it hurts us."
Rivers was asked if he thinks that at this point, Perkins might be getting some whistles simply based on a reputation for being somewhat of a troublemaker. Rivers said that may be part of it, and if that is the case, then it's up to Perkins to turn things around.
"He does have a reputation," Rivers said. "But you know how you get a reputation? You earn it. It's not like they just give you one.
"He may get reputation fouls, he may get reputation techs. But he made the bed. So now, he's going to have to make it up."
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