Celtics try to stay focused on Nets

WALTHAM, Mass. -- The way Doc Rivers describes the final game before the All-Star break, you get a mental picture of a Boston Celtics' locker room that resembles the chaotic opening scene in "Home Alone."

Fifteen players, five coaches and a support staff all preparing to bolt in different directions. Many are going to Los Angeles for festivities surrounding the 60th All-Star Game, some are sneaking home for a few days, others are bolting for a long weekend in more tropical climes.

The alarm clock -- which, unlike the McAllisters, Rivers would prefer not to sleep through -- is the 17-win New Jersey Nets, who visit TD Garden on Wednesday night for Boston's pre-break finale.

"Half our guys are packing for L.A., the other half are going to god knows where," Rivers said. "You want to make sure you finish the games. It's different. It's not like you're traveling yourself. When you're on [All-Star] break, you've got your family. I'm sure the guys will all hear it [Wednesday], their wives will be telling them what they have to pack, because they are all going to. That makes the break difficult."

The Celtics don't need a reminder about the perils of the first-half finale. Last season, Boston built a 12-point halftime lead against the New Orleans Hornets, then let it slip away while suffering a 93-85 loss that left a sour taste entering the break.

With visits from a who's who among the league's elite over the past two weeks -- the Lakers, Heat, Magic and Mavericks were the last four home games -- it's not going to be easy for Boston to focus on a New Jersey team it has already topped twice this season, including a 25-point thrashing on the road in early December.

And those are exactly the type of games that have plagued Boston over the past two seasons, regardless of any breaks on the horizon.

Rivers thought he had a secret weapon to combat a case of the overlooksies. Reserve guard Delonte West, sidelined by a fractured right wrist since Nov. 24, was set to make his on-court return Wednesday, hoping to shake some rust before the break.

Then West tweaked the wrist during Tuesday's practice and was headed for X-rays to find out whether his return would be delayed until after the break.

A Boston team desperate for healthy bodies after employing what amounted to a seven-man rotation in Sunday's win over the Miami Heat is getting used to shake-your-head situations like this. But Rivers won't let the Celtics feel sorry for themselves.

"We're not the only team," Rivers said of dealing with mounting injuries. "I don't know if anyone's had as many [injuries] as us, but there are a lot of teams with problems right now. You've just got to try to get through it."

Ray Allen, one of the four Boston players getting set to play in Sunday's All-Star Game, did his part to combat the "Home Alone" effect by packing a suitcase in advance, but he still expects to have last-minute anxiety.