Vega on Battie

[Eggcentric@xxxxxxx]

< While the subject of exploratory surgery in the offseason has come up, 
O'Brien said, ''That's something that I've not even discussed with him 
or our medical people. I'm sure they'll consider it, if necessary.'' >
-Vega

Obie: See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil. 

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Battie getting back at it

Knee heals enough for Celtic to return
By Michael Vega, Globe Staff, 4/2/2003

WALTHAM -- The knot in the back of his chronically sore right knee has 
subsided -- for now.

''It feels pretty good, but there's still a little stiffness because of 
the knee,'' said Tony Battie yesterday after emerging from a four-game 
layoff to return to practice with the Celtics in preparation for 
tonight's game against the visiting Miami Heat. ''Hopefully, it's at 
the point where I can play with it, manage it, and keep the swelling 
under control.''

With eight games remaining in the regular season -- including another 
grueling stretch of four games in five nights, which was what forced 
Battie to the sideline to begin with -- the Celtics are hoping their 
6-foot-11-inch center can navigate the rest of the way without risking 
further injury to his knee.

And yesterday's practice was a step in the right direction.

''He had a light practice, he looked good, he moved well, and he's 
winded,'' reported coach Jim O'Brien, who put the team through a 
workout that lasted about an hour and 15 minutes. ''We have to decide 
whether we'll start him or bring him off the bench. We'll really watch 
him from the standpoint of his effectiveness and how that is impacted 
by his conditioning or lack thereof, based on the fact that he hasn't 
played since the West Coast.''

Battie suffered a similar flareup in January after playing extended 
minutes in back-to-back games at San Antonio and Houston Jan. 12-13. 
And that, it seems, has been the root problem: playing back-to-back 
games. ''It's been feeling better and better each day, and it's just 
progressed,'' Battie said. ''Back-to-back games are pretty good, but 
the thing that made it swell up the last two times I've had to sit down 
is because we've had two back-to-back series, basically four games in 
five nights.

''That was a killer on the knee. That made it swell up immediately.''

But Battie faces the prospect of another such stretch beginning next 
Wednesday. The Celtics play at Washington that night and at home vs. 
Philadelphia the following night. That's followed by back-to-back road 
games at Orlando April 12 and Miami April 13 (Saturday-Sunday).

''It shouldn't be too bad as long as I have that Thursday to rest and 
rehab,'' said Battie. ''We only have two more back-to-back games, then 
the playoffs will be at least every other day, if not more, so I feel 
like I'm in pretty good standing. But it'll be up to the coaching staff 
and the doctors and the trainers to get me through those series.''

While the subject of exploratory surgery in the offseason has come up, 
O'Brien said, ''That's something that I've not even discussed with him 
or our medical people. I'm sure they'll consider it, if necessary. 
There was a lot of talk about that at the beginning of the year, but 
Tony has just sucked it up and has been able to give us a pretty full 
year to this point in time.''. . .

Tony Delk practiced and had no setbacks with the left ankle injury that 
forced him to miss eight games this season, including three last month 
at Indiana, Los Angeles, and Denver. ''I feel a lot better,'' said 
Delk. ''I'm really satisfied with it right now. Once I got hurt, I 
tried to come back a little too fast and I kept playing on it injured. 
Taking a week off and missing some games really helped me out a lot 
and it just feels really good right now.'' . . . Paul Pierce sported a wrap 
on his right wrist, which he sprained in Monday's practice, but is 
expected to play tonight, according to O'Brien . . . The Heat are out 
of the playoff picture at 23-52 but have beaten the Celtics in both 
meetings this season. ''Actually, I think those teams are the most 
dangerous teams,'' Battie said, ''because they've got nothing to lose 
and they're basically getting ready for the summer. They're just trying 
to finish up the season strong, so they're out there having nothing but 
fun because they have nothing to lose. So we have to be focused and 
ready to come out with our A game. "