Four of the Celtics' 15 players are headed to Los Angeles this weekend to compete in the All-Star Game, and of those four, two will face off in Saturday night's 3-point shootout.
The other two C's stars aren't about to take a stance on the matter.
Paul Pierce and Ray Allen will go head-to-head in the 3-point contest at the Staples Center, and teammates Kevin Garnett and Rajon Rondo will be watching from the sidelines. But as for picking an odds-on favorite, that topic is off-limits.
"In the NBA, I can't really speak about betting or gambling," Garnett said. "I don't want to get into trouble any more than you do, so I don't know how to answer that. Matter of fact, I won't answer that."
Doc Rivers, who will coach the Celtics' four stars on the Eastern Conference squad, was equally noncommittal when asked for his pick.
"I'm not betting," he said. "Both of them. It's going to be a tie. I think that's the right answer, right?"
Rondo disagreed.
"No, I don't hope they tie," he shot back. "Somebody's gotta win."
But when pressed to actually choose said winner, Rondo shied away.
"It depends," he said. "I can't go against my teammate."
Pierce is the defending champion, and he's back for his third shootout appearance, looking for his second win. Allen is there for the sixth time, also looking for victory No. 2, after he took home the title in 2001.
The other four contestants, shockingly, aren't Celtics. Kevin Durant, Daniel Gibson, James Jones and Dorell Wright will compete against the two C's shooters. Boston only gets two of the six.
"I was trying to get in this year," Rondo joked, "but my percentages weren’t high enough."
Rondo has made nine of his 29 attempts from beyond the arc this season, just a touch over 31 percent. This weekend, he'll leave the shooting to the pros.
