BOSTON – Late in the third quarter Friday night and trailing by 11, Celtics interim coach John Carroll knew he was running out of reasons to regroup, yet called a time out anyway. While his muddled team huddled, the PA announcer tried to arouse the fans by introducing legends of the franchise’s ascent.
As Bruce Springsteen’s “Glory Days” pulsated throughout the Fleet Center, the spotlight first focused on Red Auerbach, who must believe his eyes are lying to him in his old age when he sees what absentee executive Danny Ainge – scouting in Falluja where he’s safe from heckling Celtic fans – has wrought: Cost-ineffective labor and, gasp, unskilled cheerleaders evidently straight from behind the counter at Dunkin’ Donuts.
The Chief, Robert Parish, with one standing ovation already in the bag, was next to be recognized, followed by Tommy Heinsohn, Jo Jo White, Bob Cousy, Cedric Maxwell and Larry Bird who, oh, yeah, just happens to preside as president of the Pacers, the Celtics playoff comp.
Never one to blow an opportunity to snatch an edge, Larry Legend uncharacteristically got up out of his midcourt seat and acknowledged the unremitting, deafening applause.
Carroll’s biggest mistake was not calling another time out to take the crowd out of the stands and get ’em back into the game.
Paul Pierce was the only Celtic who did anything the rest of the quarter, committing two turnovers, as opposed to Anthony Johnson, who drained a 3-pointer, and Jermaine O’Neal, who downed a deuce to enlarge Indiana’s lead to 16. At which point the Celtics seriously began praying for the end of time and the miscreants holed up adjacent to the Pacers abruptly switched allegiance.
“The Nets are gonna kick your assets,” decided one particularly obtuse hoople (Jersey plays the winner of Detroit-Milwaukee) who spent much of his first night out amidst the general pop trashing O’Neal during his rest stops.
“Miami’s gonna crush you suckers,” shouted another faithless fan, greatly influenced, I suppose, by three games worth of court proceedings and a curious concession communiqué by Chucky Atkins in Friday’s Boston Herald.
“They [Pacers] think they’re physical. Wait’ll they play the Pistons.”
That makes it unanimous. The fact the Pacer reservists outscored Ainge’s starters by four says everything Pierce (4-17 FG; nine points) didn’t have room for when he scribbled Antoine Walker’s shot chart on his PF Flyers.
Far be it from me to suggest the Pacers are overconfident after handing the Vitamin C’s their all-time worst home playoff defeat, but I think I spotted Donnie Walsh lighting up Red Auerbach after the game.
* After what I saw Friday night, I may just have to re-cast my Coach-of-the-Year ballot. Directly following the Rockets’ 102-91 win over the Lakers, there was Jim Gray ready to “interrogate” someone other than Kobe Bryant when suddenly Jeff Van Gundy pulled away Steve Francis and Yao Ming and ordered them into Houston’s locker room.
I haven’t seen such bold decision-making since Van Gundy pulled himself away from Camp Cablevision. Which is guaranteed to cost him a hefty sack of fine money. David Stern doesn’t tolerate anyone who stiffs TV networks that heavily fund his NBA. Teams are duty bound to provide pre-game, halftime and post-game interviewees. They may not always supply the person requested but somebody of import must be made available to answer a question or two.
No one knows that protocol better than Van Gundy. Just as no one, considering he spent the last 1½ seasons drawing a TNT paycheck, should have more appreciation for the media’s relationship with/dependence on its prime time principals.
Apparently Van Gundy’s agitation stems from Gray’s (i.e. ESPN’s and ABC’s) fixation with Kobe and disrespect for everybody else.
Let’s see if I’m clear on this: The Knicks, about 24 hours from the first tee, have taken to whimpering about the time-keeping in their own building? Their claim must have some validity to it, though, I hear Tim Thomas is calling on his mates to clean the clock of the clock operator.
