BOSTON – Responding to Byron Scott’s rips, Celtics fans lived up to their “outrageous” hype last night, even as their basketball team again floundered.

The rabidness began well before Antoine Walker went after a heckler in the final minutes. All sorts of wacky Jason Kidd apparel was worn in the FleetCenter. Two guys wore white T-shirts that had “5” written in magic marker with the inscription “Wife Beater.” Six fans in the front row put on black San Antonio jerseys with “5” on the front, “Kidd” on the back.

The fans were in a frenzy in the minutes before game time as “Glory Days” rocked the arena. Red Auerbach led a procession of old Celtics, including Bob Cousy, K.C. Jones, Jo Jo White, new boss Danny Ainge and Bill Walton.

Signs and posters were everywhere, addressing the hated Kidd and Scott, who didn’t walk onto the court until two minutes before player introductions and was booed the loudest. As Scott came out to the court through the tunnel, a fan by the railing shoved the back page of the Boston Herald in his view; it read “Shame on you, Byron.”

A woman held up a sign that read, “I am not abusive, I am not crazy, I am not cruel,” addressing Scott’s barbs.

Other signs read: “Byron, too bad magic can’t carry you to the Finals again,” “The Jungle is no Place for Kidds,” and “Kidd can’t handle the truth.” One sign read, “Hey Kidd, your wife is Hot.” It was held up by a woman.

Before the game, Celtics patriarch Red Auerbach blasted Scott, who earlier in the week said on WFAN that Celtics fans were “crazy,” “cruel,” and that black players, including their own, don’t like playing in Boston. Scott said some “cities and organizations haven’t caught up to the year 2000 yet.”

“If he made it, it’s just a stupid remark,” Auerbach said. “As simple as that. He didn’t say it publicly, did he?”

Auerbach added, “Talk to all the black athletes who played here. I don’t know anyone who was unhappy to play here. You could talk to the Jones boys [K.C. and Sam], Jo Jo, [Bill] Russell; they’ve never been sorry they’ve played here. So what the hell does he know?”