Ray downs Rockets in early showdown

Election night inserted CNN into the remote rotation on a light NBA night, but thanks to the magic of picture-in-picture, Barack Obama's nomination projection was mixed in with Boston's Eddie House knocking down a pair of free throws to put away the Rockets in an impressive performance.
Congratulations, President-elect Obama, clearly the night's big winner.
Somewhere among the runner-up pool of others who thrived on Tuesday night you'll find Celtics guard Ray Allen, whose 29 points made him top dog in one of the season's most attractive early matchups.
Allen's play entering this game had raised worries that he'd reverted back to the tentative, ineffective form that sabotaged him during the early part of the playoffs. In Houston, he snapped out of it, knocking down 11-of-15 field goals to help Boston avoid a two-game losing streak.
The guy who averaged over 20 points and nailed 52 percent of his 3-pointers in the Finals was back.
Doc Rivers recognized it, too, drawing up play after play for him to come off screens and catch-and-shoot. Because of Pierce's emergence into "the best player in the world" and the need to play through Garnett's versatility, Allen comes in as the decisive third option. By the second part of last season, it seemed that he'd grown too comfortable in that role, shedding his funk just in time to help bring home the series wins against the Pistons and Lakers.
It's important that Allen live up to his part in the "Big Three" equation, because the Celtics can't afford to lose his firepower if they're going to make good on a repeat bid. Nights like these, where he can take over a big game, are necessary to keep his confidence and aggressiveness where Boston needs it to be.
Tuesday's +/- report: Shaquille O'Neal shot 7-for-8, but Phoenix was only +3 when he was out on the court. Still, he used Nets rookie Brook Lopez, who looked awed by the Diesel, playing with a lot of nervous energy that contributed to four turnovers and four fouls. Twin brother Robin Lopez was much more effective, registering a +18 primarily by running the floor, taking up space and blocking or altering shots. Paul Pierce (+13) didn't have a great offensive night (5-for-15, 13 points), but he did a nice job of occupying Ron Artest (-1, 3-for-16), going right at him physically and refusing to be bullied. Artest got too caught up in shooting from the outside and was rendered ineffective for the first time as a Rocket. You would've gotten long odds on anybody other than those two getting into the testiest confrontation of the night, but Brent Barry and Leon Powe did manage to edge them when they got into it in the fourth quarter... Kendrick Perkins (+3, 15 points, seven rebounds, four blocks) deserves mention after the job he did against Yao Ming (-8), frustrating him into 4-for-14 shooting and a couple sloppy turnovers. Yao called it "one of my worst games of all time."... Rick Carlisle is doing a nice job getting Dirk Nowitzki (+19, 30 points, 13-for-24) open looks in different spots on the floor, keeping defenses from finding a comfort zone against him. Meanwhile, Jason Terry (+24) found himself wide open more often than San Antonio has ever let him roam loose, putting up a relatively easy 29 points on 13-for-21 shooting. The Spurs are currently overmatched, but should be encouraged that first-round pick George Hill (+2) might be able to give them an offensive boost. He scored 11 points in 15 minutes in his first action of the season, showing no signs of shyness. Under normal circumstances, an unheralded rookie like Hill wouldn't see daylight in Gregg Popovich's rotation, but right now, anyone who can help put the ball in the basket appears welcome. Pop even toyed with a Tony Parker/Hill backcourt with mixed results.