Celtics scuffle, but tough it out

“You’re getting the ball!’’ Cassell yelled. “You’re getting the ball! I know you’re getting the ball.’’

Allen had just drilled a 3-pointer off a Kendrick Perkins kickout to give the Celtics an 82-81 lead - putting them ahead, albeit briefly, for the first time since the first quarter - and as clairvoyant as Cassell was, there was nothing he could do about it.

Mike Miller was guarding Allen, the only consistent source of offense all night for the Celtics, and he had the task of chasing Allen around on the Celtics’ most important possession.

Allen faked as if he were coming to Rajon Rondo for the ball, then cut to the baseline with Miller riding him the whole way. Allen was more than aware that Perkins and Kevin Garnett were set up like light posts for the screen. Miller was not.

“They got him,’’ Allen said. “They got him. And I was sitting there wide open.’’

Allen wasn’t particularly worried about how the two giants had cleaned Miller’s clock. “I was up in the air and I realized he wasn’t anywhere around,’’ Allen said.

He pulled up for his sixth 3-point attempt of the night and splashed it, giving the Celtics an 86-83 win. Cassell, typically a well of words, was all out.

“He probably was kicking himself,’’ Allen said, grinning. “I told him he needs to wear a tie.’’

On a night when Allen scored 25 points on 10-of-15 shooting (4 of 6 from three), it was the biggest shot of the game. The Celtics were playing for momentum, something that had gone missing for two months. The blowout to Cleveland and the loss to New Jersey were small things in coach Doc Rivers’s mind. What bothered him more was the way momentum only seemed to have a three-game shelf life.

Last night’s win gave the Celtics four straight, their longest streak since an 11-game run that ended in December.

They had to fight for it, doing most of their scratching and clawing when they outscored the Wizards, 20-4, over the final 6:10. But after seeing his team give up so many games in the fourth quarter, Rivers finally got to see the Celtics take one back.