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[Kevin.Lok@outokumpu.com]

Thought I contribute something (if this hasn't been sent already). Thanks
all for all your great input on the C's. My blood's green.

GETTING INSIDE

You want to know where the Celtics are this are on this Monday morning?
Well, the literal answer is they're at Brandeis going through practice. The
figurative reply is that they're as far along as anyone could reasonably
hope.

The Celts are two games below .500 after 16 outings, but after a four-point
overtime home loss to Phoenix Friday and a six-point defeat in Cleveland
Saturday, they are playing all the way up to the talent on hand.

"And then some," said Rick Pitino. "I think what's important to see is the
attitude these guys have. They're not happy with the losses, but they feel
good about how hard they're working and they know how much it's
appreciated. You always hate to lose, but to see these guys as professional
athletes giving so much of themselves to try and win is such a rewarding
sight for anybody to see. We're maxing out Tyus Edney. We're maxing Dana
Barros. We're maxing Antoine Walker, with the minutes he's given us. We're
getting so much out of a lot of people."

And lest you think Pitino has been dipping into the M.L. Carr-brand syrup
to put a sweet topping on three straight losses, check out the people in
green and white uniforms and the identity of those who have been eating
their lunch inside.

The key in the loss to the Cavaliers was the two treys Wesley Person threw
at them to turn the tide, but down the stretch the Celts simply could not
do anything about Shawn Kemp inside. They don't have the bodies to play
straight up against such a talent. Heck, Zydrunas Ilgauskas kicked some
Boston butt in the lane, as well.

On Friday, Cliff Robinson roamed inside for 26 points, and Elden Campbell
before him had 22 for the Lakers.

If the exterior defense is baffling the opposing guards, the problems
elsewhere can remain hidden a while. But when a foe gets into a halfcourt
set, Celtic fans may wish to cover the eyes of their children.

"Right now our press is doing a very good job of camouflaging our
weaknesses," Pitino said. "But the day will come when our man-to-man
defense is the way it was the last three years at Kentucky, where teams
didn't get anything out of it."

The Celts were without Travis Knight Saturday (Pitino didn't know about his
bruised left thigh until just prior to game time), and he's not the
interior beast the club truly needs. The coach knows it and it's fair to
say he's looking far and wide for someone who can fill that role. The
search is now focused on an acquisition for next season.

In the meantime, the C's will have to get by with what they have. And what
they have is doing about the best it can.

Not that Pitino is satisfied. He still plans to coach the hell out of the
product, though he gave the lads Sunday off (getting soft, big guy?). He
still plans to develop what he can and find enough wins to keep the ship
from taking on any unnecessary water.

"What we can do now is continue to build on the work ethic these guys have
shown," Pitino said. "But right now I feel terrible for these guys. because
they're doing the work but they're not coming away with victories.

"What I've got to do is keep these guys upbeat and not let them get
discouraged. Young players can get discouraged with losses."

Pitino could get a little depressed, as well. But he steels himself with a
look toward what he thinks he can accomplish down the road.

"The talent will catch up," he said. "We'll get another high draft pick and
we'll pick up a strong free agent this year. And we'll add to this
basketball team.

"But I'm proud of the people who are here now and what they're doing to
help turn this franchise around."

NOTES, QUOTES, ANECDOTES

Many people were surprised to learn that Travis Knight was unable to play
Saturday night because of a bruised left thigh suffered the evening before.
They were not alone. Rick Pitino was a tad stunned, as well.

"I didn't even know he was hurt until game time," Pitino said after the
103-97 loss to the Cavaliers. "He has a legitimate bruise, but I wish I
would have known about it."

The coach didn't even know after Friday's game that Knight had been hurt.

"Ed (Lacerte, the trainer) thought it was just a mild thing and it would
work out, but it didn't," Pitino said. "We didn't have a walk-through, so
we didn't know about it. (Knight) thought he could warm up and loosen it
up, but he couldn't get it loose."

Knight had been removed from the starting lineup on Friday so Pitino could
put him with a quicker second team, but with the Cavaliers throwing Shawn
Kemp, Zydrunas Ilgauskas and Vitaly Potapenko at the Celts, size was sorely
needed.

In addition to Travis Knight, Cavalier point guard Brevin Knight was unable
to go again because of a bruised right shoulder.

"It's a bad night for Knights," aptly deduced Celtic media relations guy
Jeff Twiss.

Upon further review ... Pitino looked at the tape of the Phoenix game and
is convinced Edney was hit when he went to the hoop for the last shot of
regulation with the game tied. It's the coach's belief that if Edney had a
larger reputation, he would have been asked to make a trip to the free
throw line.

And you think the media is tough.

Prior to Wednesday's game, Pitino's 6-year-old son, Ryan, was sitting in
the Celtic dressing room while his dad was drawing plays on the board.
Every once in a while, Ryan would suggest the names of a player or two the
Celts could send to Phoenix to get Rex Chapman, and Rick would patiently
say, "No, we can't do that."

No, Ryan isn't a frustrated talk-show caller. He just wants to be reunited
with the Pitinos' old neighbor from Lexington, Ky.

Told last night about Ryan's interest, the Suns' guard said, "Aw, he
doesn't want me. He just wants my son, Zeke. They were best friends."

The fathers are friends, as well.

"We've lived in the same neighborhood the last six or seven years," said
Chapman. "We play a lot of golf together in the summer time."

He is also familiar with former UK players Walker, Ron Mercer and Walter
McCarty.

"I go through all of the (Kentucky) preseason workouts, so I know all those
guys really well," he said.

Note to Ryan: Chapman will be a free agent next summer.

Antoine Walker had a word or two with Pitino when he was yanked from
Wednesday's game for picking up a technical. But even though he was left on
the bench for the remainder of that loss to the Lakers, there is no
lingering issue for the Celtics' co-captain.

"We have a better relationship than that," Walker said. "He did what he
thought was right, and I have no problem with that at all. I understood
what was happening."

Walker had missed two free throws (he was 8-for-17 on the night) and after
dunking a rebound a few seconds later, he did a pull-up on the rim and was
called for the tech to precipitate Pitino's action.

"I was frustrated at myself for missing the free throws, and coach was
frustrated at my performance, too," Walker said. "Hanging on the rim was
just the icing on the cake. That gave them another shot and the ball in a
game where we still had a chance to win.

"I'm not concerned about coach pulling me from a game like that. I'm more
concerned about what I did wrong to make him pull me. And I know what I did
then."

One of the most entertaining moments of the game against the Lakers came
when ref David Jones called the Celts for an illegal defense. Pitino argued
the call on the grounds his club was trapping at the time. The problem for
the coach was that he couldn't get the official's attention because of a
lack of basic knowledge.

When his screams couldn't rouse Jones, Pitino turned toward the scorer's
table and stands and said, "Hey, what's his name?" After getting the word,
Pitino made his point and then turned back toward the crowd with a sheepish
smile.

BY THE NUMBERS: 32 -- The number of turnovers the Celtics forced from
Cleveland, the Cavs' franchise high.

QUOTE TO NOTE: "That's the longest pivot I've ever seen. That could go in
the Guinness Book of World Records." -- Pitino on what he thought should
have been a traveling call on Shawn Kemp.

STRATEGY AND PERSONNEL

The Celtics have looked away from Chauncey Billups. The No. 3 overall pick
in the draft got just five first-half minutes in each of the last two
games, and Rick Pitino says he has no choice.

"To be honest, it's very tough as a coach to look at yourself in the mirror
if you're not honest and fair with your players," the coach said. "In one
sense, I want to give Chauncey the minutes to develop, which we've done.
Now we've got to turn around and look Dana Barros square in the eye and
say, 'OK, are you being penalized because you're a veteran?'

"So now it comes down to execution in the games and execution in practices,
and quite frankly both Dana and Tyus (Edney) have been executing better
than Chauncey. That doesn't mean we've lost faith in Chauncey -- not at
all. It's just that I've got to be fair to the guys. I can't look myself in
the mirror or look at Dana square in the eye and say, 'He's beaten you
out."'

GAME MATCHUPS: Wednesday vs. Chicago -- Did you ever think you'd hear of
the 1990s Bulls looking forward to a game against the Celtics for revenge?
But the C's were the ones who began a trend by beating Chicago, 92-85, on
opening night. It's fair to say the Celts will have to help out quite a bit
on a Mr. M. Jordan to keep from being obliterated.

IN YOUR FACE: Wednesday vs. Chicago -- Scottie Pippen wants a trade, and
the Celts were closest to making a deal for him last draft day.

ROTATION: Starters -- Point guard Tyus Edney (six apg as a starter);
Shooting guard Ron Mercer (15.0 ppg in last three); Small forward Walter
McCarty (five rebounds in last two games); Power forward Antoine Walker
(20-plus points in six straight; club is 2-4); Center Pervis Ellison (nine
rebs total in last 3). Bench -- Guard Dana Barros (8-11 treys in last
three); Forward Dee Brown (single-figure scoring in last five); Center
Travis Knight (8.5 rebs in last two).

INJURY UPDATE: Roy Rogers (sore right knee), John Thomas (bruised
quadriceps), Dontae' Jones (left groin strain).