Miami Heat sharpshooter Ray Allen, who hit four 3-pointers in the fourth quarter Saturday night during a win over the Indiana Pacers in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals, is not discounting the possibility of retiring after the season despite looking impressive in the playoffs.
The soon-to-be 39-year-old Allen told Yahoo Sports: "Do I want to get to the point where you tell me, 'Look man, you ain't looking good out there'? Do you want to get to that point and people start saying that about you?"
Allen's hot streak in the fourth quarter started with a 3-pointer that propelled Miami to a 79-74 lead. His third 3 put Miami up 11; the fourth sealed the win.
He takes pride in showing up in the fourth quarter, which he calls his 'playground.' "In the fourth quarter the guy is guarding me and thinking I'm just biding time. I'm not. I'm over here thinking how can I have an effect on offense," Allen said.
The always-confident Allen believes he could still average points for some NBA teams, but relishes playing a back-up role with the Heat, which he helped win last year's NBA title with a 3-pointer in Game 6. The basket to force overtime and the Heat went on beat the San Antonio. They would defeat the Spurs in Game 7 to claim the title.
"Do I want to play at a high level? Or do you just want to exist on team where you win or maybe not? Those are the questions you have to ask yourself," Allen said. "It's more than just the game. It's preparing every day."
Allen feels he could be playing his final season. "I just go into the summer and sit and think about it. I'm not far away."
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