Boston Celtics shooting guard Ray Allen may be injured, but his confidence hasn't wavered. (ASSOCIATED PRESS)

There’s a commercial running on ESPN and NBA TV during the playoffs showing Ray Allen launching countless jumpers. He takes shot, after shot, after shot but the elbow stays the same. The message: unbroken habits lead to broken records.

That motto is the very reason why Allen is considered the best 3-point shooter in NBA history. His form is immaculate and his confidence never wavered. And now you can add resilient and tough-minded to his resume.

After a pitiful performance in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals in which he scored just six points and was 1-for-4 from behind the arc and missed four of his seven free throw attempts, the Ray Allen of old has resurfaced and the Celtics have erased an 0-2 deficit in this series and are now two games away from reaching the NBA Finals.

“With him it’s just balance. When you have a bad foot, ankle or anything your balance is off and you could see that in Ray. The ball is going left a lot. He’s one of the greatest shooters of all time. Ray is gonna try to figure it out, we’re gonna try to figure it out,” Celtics coach Doc Rivers said of his shooting guard, who is nursing a sore right ankle. It’s an injury that forced him to miss 17 of 22 games in one stretch this season.

Prior to Game 2 of the conference finals, Allen made just 13 of his 43 field goals and 6-for-28 from 3-point range. Both are far below his standards. He’s a career 45% shooter from 3-point range and nearly 90% from the free throw line.

“It’s real simple — health,” said former Orlando Magic sharp-shooter Dennis Scott, who now works as an analyst for NBA TV. “We know Ray is not 100 percent. You look at his career you know he’ll knock down wide open shots, contested shots. But you don’t see the spring, you don’t see the bounce, you don’t see that rhythm we’re used to seeing Ray Allen has.”

Brent Barry says Allen’s injury is not only affecting his shot but it is impacting parts of his game. “He went 3-for-7 from the free throw line [against Miami in Game 1]. He hasn’t missed four three throws in a game since 2006. He’s gotta get it going, otherwise Doc is gonna have to go elsewhere and do other things.

“But Ray is going to fight through it. He’ll be there early and often, hopefully he gets going.”

Allen has gotten it going again, scoring 13 points (including a huge 3-pointer) in Game 2, 10 in Game 3 and 16 in Game 4. The Celtics were able to win two of the last three games in the series because Allen’s shot has significantly improved and it has opened up the floor for Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, and Rajon Rondo. Allen was 4-for-11 from behind the arc in 46 minutes Sunday in Boston, a game the Celtics badly needed to win to put a little heat on Miami and guarantee at least a Game 6 in Boston.

Skiles made Jennings the quarterback of his team from Day 1 and the 20-year-old rookie point guard with an old-school game has rewarded his head coach with an amazing season.

Showing great leadership skills and incredible poise in his first time in the postseason, the confident and talented Mr. Jennings single-handedly pushed the underdog Bucks – who were without leading scorers Andrew Bogut and Michael Redd – to a Game 7 against the Atlanta Hawks, and his accelerated learning curve is something the Bucks can benefit from in the future.

Jennings mixes a blend of technically sound decisions with a little bit of And-1-Mixed-Tape flare. His game is comparable to a young Kenny Anderson, but with a much better jump shot.

“To be a great point guard, you have to be a vocal leader and you have to take chances,” said Jennings, whose Kid ‘N Play haircut shows his affinity for pop culture history and his fearlessness. Not many kids can pull off the Kid ‘N Play look.

When asked what he has learned in his playoffs debut, Jennings said: “Just keep fighting. “I just kept attacking. I got a little motivation before the game. It made me come out and play aggressive,” said the 6-foot-1 left-hander, who has bumped up his scoring average from 15.5 to 20.8 in the playoffs.

When asked specifically if the Rookie of the Year voting breakdown had a little something to do with his perked up energy and extra incentive in the playoffs, Jennings replied: “Maybe.”

Rookie point guard Brandon Jennings leads the Bucks in scoring in the playoffs. (NBAE/GETTY IMAGES)

“Scott Skiles told me something right around the All-Star break that Brandon Jennings wasn’t getting credit for being a student of the game and gym rat, and I think that’s what’s starting to show now,” former NBA forward and current NBATV studio analyst Dennis Scott said on “NBA Game Time.”

“Last year, going over to Italy, people thinking it was a bad move, he didn’t show well and maybe that’s why he slipped in the draft. Now, he’s proven why he went No. 10 and why him and Scott Skiles are on the same page. He’s proven he’s one of the elite point guards in his young career.”

Eric Snow, a former NBA point guard and now a commentator on NBATV’s “Game Time,” said Jennings doesn’t get enough credit for being able to absorb the NBA game in such a short amount of time after spending one season in the Italian League last season.

“He has kept his team afloat and kept them with their sharpness all the time, and a lot of it has to do because Scott Skiles demands it,” Snow said. “When he first got the starting position, most of us were shocked because it was so sudden, so early in the season. But Scott has seen something in him and he’s been able to display that all season long.”

So, who is the better rookie point guard: Steph Curry or Brandon Jennings?

“Steph Curry may be more [talented], but Curry to me wouldn’t be a better fit for Scott Skiles. Jennings has the right mode, the right mentality, and still a little feisty.”

Snow added: “Playing point guard in the NBA is extremely tough, especially for a young guy. It’s hard to command that respect because you’re trying to learn at the same time.”