Ray Allen To Play Against Hawks Without Limit on Playing Time

by Conrad Kaczmarek on Fri, May 4, 2012 at 7:19PM

Ray Allen will be back in the rotation for the Celtics on Friday night against the Hawks after missing the first two games of the series. Although Avery Bradley has stepped up and assumed the starting shooting guard role, the Celtics will be excited to welcome Allen back.

Bradley will remain in the starting lineup, but Allen will be available off the bench. Depending on his effectiveness, Allen could end up with significant playing time in his first game since April 10.

"There's no restrictions on him, minutes wise," said Doc Rivers.

Bone spurs in his right ankle have sidelined Allen for more than three weeks, so it remains to be seen how effective he will be in such a crucial playoff game.

"He looked a little rusty, as is expected," Rivers said of Allen's shootaround Friday morning. "But he was aggressive and that's good to see."

The Celtics were 7-4 without Allen in the lineup.