In just two seasons, Glen Davis has established himself as one of the NBA’s quirkiest personalities. But behind the singing and dancing, the jokes and the pinstripe suits, there is another aspect of Big Baby, one that harbors 23 years of heartache and struggles. As Davis explained to ESPN’s Wendi Nix, there is a softer side to the man who once wrestled Shaquille O’Neal to the ground.

There are those who will remember Game 4 between the Celtics and Magic as “the game won by Big Baby.” Then there are those who will remember it as “the game where Big Baby shoved the kid.” And that fan’s father is making no mistake of how he is remembering it.

The Orlando Sentinel has reported Ernest Provetti, the father of 12-year-old Nicholas, has sent an e-mail to the NBA demanding an apology from Davis. According to Provetti, Davis shoved his son after hitting the game-winner so hard that his baseball cap fell of his head and he dove into his seat.

In addition to referencing Davis as “raging animal with no regard for fans’ personal safety,” Provetti told the Sentinel in a telephone interview, “The NBA makes it clear to not cross the sideline. If I cross that line, the NBA will take away my tickets. It’s a double standard.”

Provetti, a former Celtics fan from New Jersey, now lives in Orlando and sits courtside at every Magic game.

(via RedsArmy.com)

James Posey did it last season. Ben Gordon did it in the first round. In Game 4, Glen Davis did it too. All three made their marks on the eve of free agency. Gordon and Davis aren’ t the only ones vying for a contract this summer either. Here is a look at those still in the playoffs who could benefit from a strong postseason performance before they hit the free agent market next month:

Atlanta Hawks
Unrestricted: Mike Bibby, Flip Murray, Zaza Pachulia
Restricted: Thomas Gardner, Othello Hunter, Mario West, Solomon Jones, Marvin Williams

Boston Celtics
Unrestricted: Eddie House (PO), Stephon Marbury, Mikki Moore
Restricted: Glen Davis, Leon Powe

Cleveland Cavaliers
Unrestricted: Zydrunas Ilgauskas (ETO), Joe Smith, Wally Szczerbiak, Anderson Varejao (PO), Lorenzen Wright
Restricted: None

Dallas Mavericks
Unrestricted: Brandon Bass, Devean George (PO), Gerald Green, Jason Kidd, James Singleton
Restricted: Ryan Hollins

Denver Nuggets
Unrestricted: Chris Andersen, Anthony Carter, Jason Hart, Steven Hunter (ETO), Dahntay Jones
Restricted: Linas Kleiza, Johan Petro

Houston Rockets
Unrestricted: Ron Artest, Brian Cook (PO), Von Wafer
Restricted: None

Los Angeles Lakers
Unrestricted: Trevor Ariza, Kobe Bryant (ETO), Lamar Odom
Restricted: Shannon Brown

Orlando Magic
Unrestricted: Adonal Foyle, Anthony Johnson (PO), Tyronn Lue, Hedo Turkoglu (ETO)
Restricted: Marcin Gortat, Jeremy Richardson

ETO: Early Termination Option
PO: Player Option

Citing NBA sources, the Boston Globe has reported Celtics forward Leon Powe is expected to undergo surgery on his left knee and will miss the remainder of the postseason. Powe injured his left knee during Game 2 of the Celtics-Bulls series. He left the game in the second quarter and was taken to the hospital for an MRI. Powe had recently rehabbed from a right knee injury, which he suffered in March against the Bulls.

The loss of Powe depletes the Celtics frontcourt. Already playing without Kevin Garnett, Powe was the first option off the bench for Glen Davis. He contributed eight points and eight rebounds in 17 minutes against the Bulls in Game 1. Powe also had proven playoff experience after a breakout performance in Game 2 of the 2008 NBA Finals against the Los Angeles Lakers. He is a free agent after this season.

Update: Doc Rivers told reporters Powe has suffered a torn ACL. From Celtics.com:

“He played 3 minutes with a torn ACL on the floor, says so much about Leon Powe the person. Forget the playoffs and all that stuff. That’s just a tough injury for a kid who’s done everything right. That just makes no sense.”

Music can be used to get players in “the zone.” Rasheed Wallace blares hip hop music through the Detroit Pistons locker room. Tony Allen shows off his rap skills before every Celtics game. And then there’s Glen Davis.

On any given night, Big Baby can be seen sauntering down the halls of the TD BankNorth Garden singing Jason Mraz or offering his own rendition of Celine Dion in the Celtics locker room. Davis has an explanation for his unexpected song choice.

“I’m an emotional player and when I’m mad or I’m thinking mad, I’m not thinking at all,” Davis said. “But when I’m smooth and I understand what’s going on, the rhythm of the game, I’m having fun, that’s the way I am.”

Davis’ postseason playlist keeps him “smooth” in high pressure situations. He lists “Bubbly” by Colbie Caillat along with “Beat It” and “Billy Jean” by Michael Jackson as his playoff favorites.

So what do his teammates say when he blurts out the latest pop hits?

“Nothing, they already know,” he said. “They call me ‘Big Cuddly’ because I look like a big cuddly bear.”

Last season, the Celtics realized the hard way that the playoffs are where “Game Sevens happen.” After 26 postseason games and two trips of the brink of elimination en route to their championship, the Celtics will enter this weekend against the Chicago Bulls with valuable lessons learned.

Check your swagger at the door
The Celtics looked indestructible in Boston … and then they hit the road. They failed to win in Atlanta and Cleveland before pulling out a victory in Detroit. Last season they were saved by homecourt advantage but this time around they have no choice but to win away from the Garden.

Ray Allen: “Those three series that we played, we were up 2-0 and I think losing that first game in the other team’s building, you almost have too much swagger going into a building. I think Doc said it last year, ‘If you show up thinking wearing the green is going to be good enough, that’s when you end up losing.’ And I think that’s what happened to us. That preparation that we have at home has to carry over on the road, so it has to be even more intense and we have to be even better. So that’s where we don’t look at ourselves as targets. We look at other teams that we have to beat because now we have to go in Cleveland and win.”

Take care of your body
Postseason schedules can be unforgiving, especially when they involve cross-country trips that put players in different time zones from day to day. It is easy to get rundown, and one of the most important tasks a player has is staying healthy during the playoffs.

Glen Davis: “You’ve just got to get your rest, basically. You can’t do things like going out, staying out late nights. You have to make sure you’re ready to perform. Get a lot of treatment if you’re hurt, eat right most definitely, and the most important thing is sleep. So if you just stay focused on that because you can’t do anything about the traveling, you’ve got to work around it.”

Avoid the hype
Aside from basketball analysis, personal stories are often highlighted during the playoffs. During the NBA Finals, Leon Powe captivated a nation when ABC told the tales of his troubled childhood. Powe had to avoid the instant spotlight to stay focused on the task at hand.

Leon Powe: “I tried to block everything out, especially during our playoff run because I had the story, I had a lot of family members calling me about the story, about this, about that, what are you doing, can I come over. No, no. I wasn’t having any of that because I wanted to keep my head and keep my focus on the game … I think I just do a good job of doing that because I keep my focus on the game and know what I’m here for. I’m here to play basketball. Whatever else is going on around me, that can wait because you’ve got a job to do and go out there and prepare for a game and prepare to win the series.”

Midway through the third quarter Glen Davis was hit in the head, inadvertently, by Oklahoma City’s Kevin Durant and taken back to the locker room. He was replaced by Mikki Moore. The Celtics are playing tonight with only three available big men.

UPDATE: Davis returned to the Celtics bench toward the end of the third quarter. The Celtics had a lineup on the floor with Bill Walker essentially playing the four spot. Davis received 10 stitches.