Your Morning Dump... Where KG, Pierce & Rondo Survive All-Star Weekend

Every morning, we compile the links of the day and dump them here... highlighting the big storyline. Because there's nothing quite as satisfying as a good morning dump.

Overall contributions from the Celtics trio were relatively subdued, including four points and five assists from Rondo, eight points and 2-for-3 3-point shooting from Pierce, and a predictably brief appearance from Garnett that resulted in four points, a block, three rebounds and two assists.

East coach Stan Van Gundy alternated Rondo and Pierce on the last two possessions of the game - Rondo for defense on Utah’s Deron Williams and Pierce for his shooting.

Though Garnett and Pierce logged only 13 and 12 minutes, respectively, they offered plenty of support for the young point guard, as their teammate played 20 minutes and was a significant factor down the stretch.

Herald - Rondo a Factor in All-Star Win

I'd say the Celtics trio had a pretty good All-Star Weekend. KG didn't hurt himself. Pierce won the 3-point shootout. And Rondo held his own in HORSE and the All-Star game (even though he was nervous).

"I was trying not to fall. I was glad I didn't have any dress shoes on," Rondo said. "The slope we walked down was pretty slippery. [Coach] Stan [Van Gundy] went first, so there probably wasn't a risk of us falling."

But his heart rate spiked again a few minutes into Sunday's game. Despite his seemingly unflappable and steely cool demeanor afterward, Pierce indicated Rondo battled butterflies before checking in with 5:43 to go in the first quarter.

"Talking to Rondo on the bench, he told me his heart started beating fast when he was about to go in the game," said Pierce, blowing his teammate's cover. "He looked good out there tonight."

ESPN Boston: Rondo Enjoys 1st All-Star Game

On Page 2, it's back to work.

“I think it definitely could help brush off that first half; we were disappointed, really disappointed, with the way we finished off the first half of the season,’’ Pierce said.

Pierce, who dealt with knee and foot injuries in the first half, said, “We always look at the season in the three parts. You have the first half, the second half, and the playoffs. So this is a chance to refresh ourselves.’’

Globe - Regroup Therapy Needed

It's going to be a long week for all of us. Three games in four nights. Sacramento (TUE), Los Angeles (THU), Portland (FRI), and Denver (SUN).

The rest of the links:

Herald: Pierce Won't Fly Like Larry Bird |  Garnett Refills Fuel Tank | Yahoo! - Cavs Remain Leaders for Amare | Globe - Stars Draw Big Crowd | Celtics Hub: Did Rival GMs Stop Butler/Jamison Deal? | Hardwood Houdini: Rondo, KG, Pierce Perfect in AS Game |