Former New Jersey nets center Chris Dudley owns the NBA mark of 13 consecutive misses. One of the reasons Rondo, a career 62.8 percent free-throw shooter, has done poorly this season is that he hasn't been to the line often enough to develop a rhythm. Dudley, on the other hand, missed his 13 in a row in the same game. He missed 17 of 18 in all on April 14, 1990, and finished last in the league that year at 31.9 percent. Rondo entered last night shooting 25 percent.

Allen, who set a Celtics record by shooting 95.2 percent from the line last season, dresses in the locker next to Rondo at the Garden, but Rondo didn't ask for help until before the last game Saturday in Indiana. Rondo asked Allen what he thinks about at the foul line. Then, while Rondo shot free throws between drills in practice on Tuesday, he asked Allen for help again.

Allen told Rondo that a lot of his misses were line drives without enough arc, the same problem Paul Pierce has when he misses.

"So I said, `Shoot the ball up in the air and just give it a chance to always go in. Use the loft of the ball, get it in the air,'" Allen explained.

Allen urged Rondo to try, at the end of practice, to make swishes to improve his loft. He also cautioned Rondo that his adrenaline was pumping so hard, he needed to calm himself, take a breath, then shoot.

Allen said he doesn't offer his help until asked because a player can't be helped until he's ready.

"If a guy is going to come to me, I'm there," he said. "If you need me to be in the gym for you, I'll be in the gym for you."

Allen doesn't judge shooters on form because Reggie Miller, one of the NBA's best all-time shooters, crossed his hands on his follow-through.

No NBA do-overs, either

Celtics coach Doc Rivers said he wished he had sat Paul Pierce out of Saturday's loss at Indiana after the captain sprained his left knee the night before against Atlanta, but Rivers wasn't going to kick himself over not doing so.

"We know this week, you don't get do-overs," he said.

Still no finishing touch

Rivers said he's more concerned about bad finishes than slow starts. The Celtics led in the fourth quarter in each of their three losses this season.

"I don't think we're a 48-minute team yet," he said. "I just don't think we are. We have to work to get there."

Is it fatigue?

"It's everything," Rivers said. "It could be (fatigue). It could be focus, execution. I don't know what the answer is yet. Usually, it's focus and concentration. We get a lead and we lose it because we get comfortable, but we've got to get to that point where we finish out things. We've got to finish out a practice."

Bell won't toll for Warriors yet

Warriors guard Raja Bell is scheduled to travel back to Charlotte today and undergo wrist surgery soon. Bell was acquired from the Bobcats on Monday, with Vladimir Radmanovic, for Stephen Jackson and Acie Law. Bell could be sidelined up to five months.

"It could be a four-week, five-week deal," Golden State coach Don Nelson said. "That's what I'm hoping for so we'll have him. I really like him on our team. If he can play this year, I think he'd be a real positive for our ballclub. If not, then that's what it is."

Bell played two years at BU before transferring to Florida International.