The Boston Celtics will not grant the Brooklyn Nets permission to speak to Doc Rivers about their vacant head coaching job.

Memphis Grizzlies guard Tony Allen was fined $5,000 by the NBA for violating the NBA's rule that prohibits flopping.

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) -- The towels are showing up all around Memphis. They hang over neighborhood signs and even at a door to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) -- The NBA has fined Grizzlies guard Tony Allen $5,000 for violating the league's anti-flopping rule during Game 2 of the Western Conference finals against the San Antonio Spurs.

Following the San Antonio Spurs' Game 2 win over the Memphis Grizzlies on Tuesday, our own Eric Freeman wondered whether Grizzlies guard Tony Allen ? renowned throughout the league as one of the toughest, most physical, hardest-nosed players in the game ? faked the severity of any injury he might have sustained when fouled on a layup attempt in the final minute of regulation by Spurs guard Manu Ginobili. In case you've forgotten what went down, watch it again: After coughing up the ball for an Allen runout, Ginobili raced back, grabbed Allen's left forearm and pulled him down to the ground. It was a hard fall, but Allen appeared to get both of his hands down in front of him to break it; after impact, though, he grabbed his head with both hands and began writhing along the baseline in apparent pain. The referees on the scene called a flagrant foul, headed over to the replay monitor to review the incident and, despite widespread perception that Allen had embellished things, upheld the call, granting Allen two free throws (which he made) and the Grizzlies another offensive possession (with which they tied the game and forced overtime). While the officials on the scene apparently saw nothing untoward in Allen's behavior, after a couple of days to review the play, the league office begged to differ. The NBA announced Friday afternoon that Allen has been fined $5,000 for violating the league's anti-flopping policy with his embellishment on the play.

There is never a good time for a relationship to end or divorce proceedings to be put into place, even if the move is necessary and agreed upon by both sides. Working through a divorce trial while working as an All-NBA member of a team two wins away from the NBA Finals, though, would be quite the mental task. It has not been completely confirmed by the player, team, or representatives, but the San Antonio-Express News is reporting that it?s more than likely that Tim Duncan and his wife have engaged in divorce proceedings, and that the San Antonio Spurs big man is attempting to delay the trial because of his postseason commitments with the team. The Express-News? Patrick Danner discovered the case?s paperwork this week, and deduced that the initials utilized in the paperwork (the case is listed as ?A.S.D. vs. T.T.D,? Tim?s wife?s name is Amy and Duncan?s middle name is Theodore), some of the language regarding the timeliness, and (sadly), the ages of the couple?s two children to deduce that the Spurs legend is trying to put off the divorce proceedings in order to concentrate fully on the playoff run. From the Express-News : The case is playing out in Bexar County District Court. Court papers filed last week include a request that legal discovery in the case be postponed until after the Spurs' last playoff game.