Ray Allen will become a free agent this summer, and he's rumored to have interest in the Heat and the Knicks. Celtics fans might gag on the irony of Allen signing with the Heat, who eliminated the Celtics each of the past two seasons, but this is merely second-hand scuttlebutt from SI.com's Chris Mannix. Before choosing a team, Allen confirmed that he will have surgery on his ailing ankles, calling it his "top priority."

Ray Allen's ankle "locked" on him during Game 5, but Doc Rivers expects him to be fine for Thursday's game. "That's happened a couple times," Rivers said. "He needed our team doctor to maneuver it, to be almost chiropractic, just to unhinge it, so he could run again. That's what it was." The Celtics continue to get a huge boost from Allen's ability/willingness to play solid minutes on a busted ankle which will probably require surgery.

Ray Allen left Tuesday's Game 5 to get his foot treated, but was able to return. This is an injury that could linger, but he was clutch tonight, hitting some game-sealing free throws down the stretch, and finishing 8-of-8 from the line. But he wasn't great from the floor, hitting just 2-of-9 shots and 1-of-4 from downtown, finishing with 13 points and seven rebounds in 40 minutes. He should be ready to go for Game 6, but we'll be watching for updates on his foot injury between now and then.

Ray Allen confirmed that his ankles "progressively got better" in recent weeks. "Just my legs, they've gotten considerably better," said Allen, who scored 16 points in 43 minutes on Sunday. "At my lowest point, I was ready to have surgery...We'll see how I deal with it once the season is over." His return to health is enormous for the Celtics, already dealing with the absence of Avery Bradley.

Ray Allen played 43 minutes on his sore ankles on Sunday, scoring 16 points on 6-of-16 shooting, including 4-of-11 from downtown. The Celtics have encouraged Allen to resume his usual pregame routines, and while his shot might be off, he's playing critical minutes for a thin Celtics backcourt. Asked before the game why Ray seems more comfortable in recent games, Doc Rivers suggested that he is "more comfortable with what's going on with his ankle and foot," and figured out how to regain his legendary balance while shooting.

Updating a previous item, Doc Rivers told Ray Allen (ankle) to go back to his usual shot-heavy pregame routine. The hope is that the move will spark Allen's offense, but it's no sure thing. Allen's ankle is clearly bothering him, and Rivers has previously said that he'll have to watch how much time Allen spends on the floor after playing him a grueling 39 minutes in Game 1.

Ray Allen does not plan to sit out any games to rest his ailing ankle. "Hell no. This is not the time to sit," Allen said. Although the veteran shooting guard admitted that the injury is impacting his lift, it doesn't sound like he's planning on taking any time off. The Celtics will need him to perform better than he did in Game 1 to have a chance to win Game 2.

Ray Allen (ankle) is fully expected to play in Wednesday's Game 2 against the Heat. The Celtics broached the idea of giving the struggling Allen a game off to rest his bone spurs, that idea was quickly shot that down. "We're going to just keep rolling him out there and see what we can get," Rivers said. "When we feel like he can't give it to us, we'll go with someone else." Right now, Allen is a liability on both ends of the floor, but the Celtics' only other realistic option is Mickael Pietrus.

Coach Doc Rivers said he's considering sitting Ray Allen (ankle) out for a game in the Eastern Conference Finals. The painful bone spurs in Allen's ankle have rendered him extremely ineffective during the playoffs. After going 1-for-7 from the field in Game 1 against the Heat, he's shooting 39.1 percent during the postseason. The career 89.4 percent foul shooter is also shooting 60.0 percent from the stripe during the playoffs. "We're trying to figure out a different minute rotation for him, maybe that will help him. We're even considering sitting him for a game, getting him a longer rest and then playing him, and then sitting him for a game," Rivers said. "We don't know what the right thing is." With Avery Bradley (shoulders) already done, the Celtics are going to have to rely on Mickael Pietrus.

Doc Rivers admitted that he doesn't know what to expect from Ray Allen (ankle) moving forward. "It's tough, because we don't know game to game with him," Rivers said. "We don't know how he's feeling and how he's going to deal with it during the game." Allen really struggled once again in 39 minutes in Game 1, scoring just six points on 1-of-7 from the floor.