No Subject

"It was a big win. The Celtics had not won two straight since Feb. 24-27, when
they put together
                       a three-gamer. They had been manhandled by Toronto in
their first two meetings and now
                       Toronto was making a move and talking about the
postseason. But this was decidedly different.

                       Pitino high-fived Pierce on the way out and put his arm
around Anderson, who reacted to the
                       booing with a 23-point, 7-assist submission. The
Celtics stayed competitive on the glass,
                       bombed away with impunity and success from
international waters (8 for 13), forced 22
                       turnovers (good for 25 points) and got blissfully
balanced scoring - Anderson's 23 led five
                       starters in double figures. That more than offset
rocketman rookie Vince Carter, who had 30.

                       ''We always felt we were the better team, but I don't
think we were even in those other two
                       games,'' said Pierce, (15 points, 7 rebounds), who was
given his first pro `T' for hanging on the
                       rim after a sweet alley-oop. ''They banged us before.
We wanted to be more physical. I think we
                       were.''

                       Some credit has to go to Kiev strongman Vitaly
Potapenko, who would not be pushed around
                       inside and finished with 11 points, 7 rebounds, and a
blocked shot. <snip> 

                       Said Raptors coach Butch Carter, ''Their new center
handled [Kevin] Willis very well and that
                       had something to do with it. We did not match their
energy. I hope it's not a trend.''

                       Also up to the task was Antoine Walker, who had 18
points, 10 rebounds, 6 assists, 4 steals,
                       and 5 turnovers. Butch Carter saluted Walker, saying,
''He played an unselfish game.'' Walker
                       had the hot hand from outside, knocking down four treys
while Anderson matched his season
                       total of three. And what did Anderson think of the boos
directed his way because he refused to
                       report here last year after being traded for Damon Stoudamire?

                       ''That makes me feel really important,'' he cracked.
''I didn't even think they knew who Kenny
                       Anderson was.''

                       <snip> Pitino may sometimes
                       wonder why he left Kentucky, and is still wondering why
he doesn't get the calls he got at
                       Kentucky, but on this night, he saw a lot of good things.

                       His team beat a good team, on the road, having played
the night before, and doing it the way all
                       his teams do it: with harassment, hustle, and some
plain old good luck. That comes to teams that
                       work and, last night, the Celtics were the unquestioned
worker bees."

Something else to note: the past 2 games, the press has been working well, and
we've won them both. How mnany times has that happened this season?

Dwayne Schintzius' grandmother died; let's keep him in our thoughts.