Doc: 'Have to give Ray a fighting chance'

MIAMI -- Amid a report on ESPN that coach Doc Rivers has considered shutting Ray Allen down, Rivers said on Tuesday that he wasn't ready to do that yet.

"Not yet. We’re good. Ray is Ray. We’re just going to keep rolling him on out there and see what we can get," Rivers said. "If we feel like he can’t give it to us then we’ll go with someone else. Right now you have to give Ray a fighting chance. Every time."

Allen made only one of seven shots in Game 1 and missed four of his seven free throws. Over his last seven games, he's shooting only 30 percent from the floor and is just 6-for-25 from 3-point range.

"I always believe Ray will figure it out," Rivers said. "You clearly never saw me shoot the basketball. What the hell can I tell Ray? I don’t think I’ve ever said a word to Ray in my life about shooting. We do have to try to get him open more to give him time. The one thing you can say that he’s changed, it’s not as quick, his release." 

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