Ray Allen's Ankle and Shot for Celtics Are Ailing MIAMI - The artistry of Ray Allen's jump shot is as evident in the jump as in the shot, as much about feet as it is about hands. When Allen rises and lands in the same spot, all is right. Baskets swish, records fall, the Boston Celtics celebrate. And then there is now. "Right now, he's all over the place," Coach Doc Rivers said. He's leaning, going sideways, falling forward. There could be few sights more troubling for the Celtics as they battle the Miami Heat for the Eastern Conference crown. Allen has bone spurs in his right ankle - a condition that has been bothering him for months and will eventually require surgery. It has affected his lift and his balance and put a noticeable crimp in his Hall of Fame jumper. Allen is shooting 39 percent from the field in this postseason, a career low. He is just 15 for 56 from the arc, a rate hardly befitting the greatest 3-point shooter in N.B.A. history. He is even struggling when stationary, going 18 for 30 from the foul line, well short of his 89.4 percent career mark. In Monday's opener of the conference finals, Allen made 1 of 7 shots and went 3 for 7 from the free-throw line as the Celtics were routed, 93-79. Allen's struggles have become so worrisome that Rivers, in an interview with ESPN.com on Tuesday, openly mused about the possibility of resting him for a game. Rivers later reconsidered, after consulting with Allen. "If we feel like he can't give it to us, we'll go with someone else," Rivers said Tuesday afternoon. But I think right now, you got to give Ray a fighting chance, every time. So Allen will be on the court for Game 2 on Wednesday, for better or worse, and in the starting lineup for as long as the Celtics can survive. They really have no alternatives. Avery Bradley had emerged this season as a capable fill-in at shooting guard, but he was lost to a season-ending shoulder injury last week. After Allen, Boston's options are Mickael Pietrus, Keyon Dooling, Sasha Pavlovic and Marquis Daniels, none of whom are qualified to play extended minutes or to take Allen's shots. Since the moment the Celtics acquired Allen and Kevin Garnett in 2007, their strength has been in the balance and complementary skill sets of their three stars. Paul Pierce provided the one-on-one scoring and playmaking. Garnett brought the post play and the defensive grit. Allen brought the prettiest shooting stroke in the N.B.A. The combination was so instantly, seamlessly fantastic that the Celtics won the championship in their first season together. An injury to Garnett derailed them the next season, and an injury to Kendrick Perkins possibly cost them the title in 2010, when they took the Los Angeles Lakers to seven games in the finals. Now it is Allen's ankle that may prevent Boston from adding an 18th banner and perhaps hasten the end of the Big Three era. The Celtics are struggling to score and need Allen's shooting if they have any hope of making one more trip to the finals before the inevitable breakup. Allen and Garnett can be free agents this summer. Allen said this injury was unlike any other he has experienced. "I can deal with contusions and sorenesses, but this is a different challenge for me," he said. Different, because Allen has always been able to rely on his picture-perfect release, through 16 seasons, 1,148 regular-season games and 122 playoff games. His 2,718 3-pointers are the most in N.B.A. history. His 300 postseason 3-pointers rank second, just 20 behind Reggie Miller. Allen said the problem was a combination of pain management and balance. As Rivers described it, "if you drew a square box, usually Ray always lands in the box when he shoots." Now he is drifting - "he's falling forward, he's kicking out his leg on every shot." The injury has slowed down Allen's shooting motion and affected his release, Rivers said, "so we have to try to figure out ways to give him a little bit more time to shoot." The most striking sight Monday was Allen's repeated struggles at the foul line. Allen said he could not recall missing four free throws in one game. He has missed as many free throws in this postseason (12) as he did in the entire 2008-9 season (237 for 249). Meanwhile, Allen also has to chase Dwyane Wade around the court and try to keep him from dominating the game. Wade had 22 points and 7 assists in Game 1. James Jones, one of the Heat's most accomplished shooters, played down Allen's struggles. "I think people make a bigger deal of the ankle than it actually is," he said. He's one of the game's greatest shooters and he'll find a way to correct it. We just have to make sure that we don't give him any open looks.