Celtics column from CBS/Sportsline

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                                Boston Celtics
                                       
   
  HOT TOPICS:
  
   GETTING INSIDE 
   
   Oh, well, so these Celtics will just have to settle for having the
   worst record in franchise history.
   
   They blew their opportunity for immortality by snapping a 13-game
   losing streak against their personal patsies, the Raptors, Monday
   afternoon. That left them tied with the 1993-94 C's who went
   0-for-February.
   
   "I hope we didn't upset too many people back home," said Rick Fox
   after the Celts held on for the 107-103 decision. "I would hope they
   didn't think we were going to lose the rest of the way in. So out of
   the allotment of wins they were allowing us for the rest of the
   season, we took this one because we really needed it bad."
   
   They need more than they have to keep from lowering the bar set by the
   1978-79 edition. They'd have to go 17-6 the rest of the way just to
   tie that 29-53 nadir.
   
   "No one wants to be known as being part of a record for losing," said
   Todd Day.
   
   Added Antoine Walker, "Yeah, it bothers us. We just don't want to get
   to the point where guys come out and don't care about whether or not
   we win."
   
   In truth, the Celtic problem may purely be one of scheduling -- as in
   they don't get Toronto scheduled often enough. Of the 12 Boston wins,
   25 percent of them have come against the second-year Reptiles. And the
   last Celtic triumph was in the same northern dome four weeks ago to
   the day.
   
   "It's a good thing we got the Raptors when we did," said David Wesley.
   
   The Raptors weren't too happy about it, former UMass star Marcus Camby
   in particular. Camby went for 12 points in 24 minutes but was forced
   to leave the game with 6:40 left when he sprained his left ankle.
   
   "I still want to beat Boston," he said. "Back home, this game will be
   on TV, and all my friends and family were watching."
   
   Not many Celtic friends were tuned in, to be sure. What the Celtics
   are doing now can be construed as the necessary dirty work to gain
   position for a good draft pick.
   
   M.L. Carr hates any talk about his club not doing all it can to win
   every game, but he'll say also that the most important thing about
   this season is getting Walker and Eric Williams the proper time to
   develop (each played 43 minutes yesterday). Getting a few wins along
   the way can only help the medicine go down a little easier.
   
   "You've got to get the small victories to help your psyche," said
   Carr, who then cracked a smile and asked, "Does this make us the
   hottest team in the NBA?"
   
   Yes -- until a 98-95 loss in Indiana the next night.
   
   NOTES, QUOTES, ANECDOTES 
   
   Rick Fox, who's played for Canada's national team, has been telling
   people in Canada that he wouldn't mind becoming a Raptor when he can
   opt to be a free agent this summer. However, Raptor officials don't
   want to encourage Fox' thinking. Isiah Thomas said his priority is to
   get Walt Williams re-signed.
   
   "I'm not going to lie to you," Fox said. "Toronto would be a natural
   fit for me both personally and because of my link to the Canadian
   national team. That has to come from the Raptors though. It's a
   business decision on both sides. I'm not saying I'm unhappy in Boston.
   If I'm going to go to another situation, it's got to be a better one
   than the one I'm leaving." ... Fox had to sleep on top of the covers
   in his hotel room Sunday night after finding bleu cheese in his bed.
   
   "I've got three suspects," he said with a smile. "I was playing cards
   with David Wesley, Todd Day and Cedric Maxwell, and I was winning as
   usual. Then I left the room for a while, and when I came back I was
   locked out of the room and they were gone. When I got into bed, I felt
   this gooey stuff on my feet. Todd left a note in the closet saying he
   didn't do it, and David said he didn't know what I was talking about.
   He played dumb, like Rosa Lopez. I called Max, and he said he didn't
   know anything about the bleu cheese. The only thing was, I hadn't
   mentioned anything the bleu cheese yet."
   
   When Fox mentioned Lopez, a star from the O.J. Simpson trial, Day
   piped in with, "Call Mark Fuhrman. He planted the bleu cheese." ... As
   reported here Monday, Greg Minor will miss the remainder of the season
   after undergoing surgery on his right foot. In the club's first
   acknowledgment of the medical plan, it was announced the procedure
   took place Tuesday morning.
   
   In the surgery performed at New England Baptist Hospital, a screw was
   removed from Minor's fifth metatarsal to relieve the pressure on his
   fourth toe, which has been causing him the trouble this time. The
   offending screw has been there since his college days at Louisville.
   
   Minor spent the first 10 games of the regular season on the injured
   list after suffering a stress fracture his right foot in the week
   before the opening of training camp. It was originally thought this
   problem was related, but upon further examination, it was found to be
   in a different area (the late September stress fracture was further
   toward his heel). He thinks this may be another stress fracture.
   
   Minor will be in a cast six to eight weeks, thus ending his season at
   23 games (15 starts) with averages of 9.6 points and 23.8 minutes. He
   last played January 11 in New York and hasn't dress for any of the 26
   games since ... Steve Hamer (a DNP against the Raptors) went for seven
   points and three rebounds in the first 5:29 of the second period at
   Indy. That doubled his scoring total for the season.
   
   BY THE NUMBERS: 3-28 -- Boston's road record.
   
   QUOTE TO NOTE: "I think it was a little more obvious there. I don't
   know what this organization is looking forward to, but we're playing
   every game. We're in games. We just don't have enough to win right
   now. It's not like we're trying to lose; we just don't have enough to
   win. Even if we got the top two guys in the draft, I still don't see
   us as a high playoff team. Those guys would still be young. They
   couldn't come in and carry a team" -- Todd Day looking back on his
   Milwaukee days and to the Celtic situation.
   
   STRATEGY AND PERSONNEL 
   
   After watching David Wesley go 48 minutes in Toronto Monday, Carr
   vowed to get him more rest -- more than the seven minutes off he got
   the next night in Indianapolis. He has averaged exactly 45 minutes in
   the last six games.
   
   "We don't really have a backup point guard," he said. "I just try to
   get a lot of rest at night."
   
   To get an idea of how important Wesley is to the Celtics this season,
   check out his shooting numbers in wins. He has played in 10 of the 12
   Celt victories (he missed two while out eight games with a sore right
   foot), and in those triumphs, Wesley has shot .577 from the floor. In
   the 41 losses in which he's taken part, he is hitting at a .446 clip.
   
   GAME MATCHUPS: Thursday night at Charlotte Hornets -- Charlotte has
   won three of five in the last two campaigns, doing its best when it
   gets out on the break and takes advantage of Boston's slow-to-get-back
   defense.
   
   Friday night versus New York Knicks -- The Knicks have taken the C's
   thrice this season, and the only reason the games have been close at
   times is because New York tends to let up and not make the necessary
   passes to get the open lay-ups. Patrick Ewing should be able to go for
   a big number against Boston's weak middle.
   
   Sunday afternoon versus Atlanta Hawks -- The Celts have been able to
   do little against Christian Laettner and the Hawks' quick and large
   frontcourt. Boston did beat Atlanta once, but that was more a function
   of a brutal quirk in the Hawk schedule that saw them stagger in to the
   FleetCenter after a long and winding road trip.
   
   IN YOUR FACE: Thursday night at Charlotte Hornets -- David Wesley had
   34 points in the club's first meeting this season and twice last year
   went over 30 against the Hornets.
   
   Friday night versus New York Knicks -- After the Knicks' last win
   against the C's, M.L. Carr criticized the foe for acting as if it had
   already won the title. He was upset at what he perceived as criticism
   of the Celts from Knick management.
   
   Sunday afternoon versus Atlanta Hawks -- The Hawks have outboarded the
   Celts by an average of 13 in the last two games.
   
   ROTATION: Starters -- Point guard David Wesley (35 assists, four
   turnovers in last five games); Off guard Rick Fox (3-15 treys in last
   3); Small forward Antoine Walker (41 minutes or more in last 6); Power
   forward Eric Williams (4.5 rpg); Center Brett Szabo (season high
   scoring is six points). Bench -- First guard Todd Day (shooting 50
   percent off the bench in last 9); First forward Marty Conlon (made 11
   of last 12 FTs); First center Alton Lister (just two points and four
   shots in last 9).
   
   INJURY UPDATE: Dee Brown (hyperextended right big toe) doubtful; Greg
   Minor (right foot surgery) out. Dino Radja (left knee surgery) injured
   list. Dana Barros (sore left ankle) injured list. Frank Brickowski
   (right shoulder surgery) injured list. Pervis Ellison (broken right
   big toe) injured list.
   
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   March 6, 1997* Vol. 2, No. 39
   
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