Eric William's Ire At The Celtics

[Mister Ghost <mister_ghost@yahoo.com>]

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MG In Exile

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                 Ire at Celtics motivation for Williams

                 By Vicki Michaelis
                 Denver Post Sports Writer

                 March 5 - MIAMI - Eric Williams, at this point, couldn't
                 think of a better way to make his return to Boston.

                 Williams returned to the Denver Nuggets' starting lineup
                 Thursday in Miami and responded with his best game of the
                 season, scoring a team-high 21 points on 7-of-15
                 shooting. That came on the heels of a 15-point,
                 five-rebound performance on Tuesday in Indiana, which
                 earned him the starting spot.

                 "It takes me going back to the Eastern Conference to get
                 my game back, I guess,'' said Williams, who struggled so
                 much early in the season that for a time he fell to No. 3
                 at small forward.

                 Tonight, he'll be back in Boston for the first time since
                 the Celtics traded him to the Nuggets in the summer of
                 1997.

                 "It's a big game because we need to win. But it's more
                 than that for me,'' said Williams, who didn't get to play
                 against Boston last year because he was sidelined by a
                 knee injury.

                 Williams was motivated to hit the weights and lose weight
                 during his injury layoff because the word coming from the
                 Celtics on him was that he was lazy and overweight. Now,
                 the leaner, stronger Williams feels motivated to have the
                 game of his career tonight.

                 "Personally, I would love to go out and score 50 on
                 them,'' Williams said. "But I would be happier if we win.
                 It would be great if I could have both, but I'd rather
                 have the win.''

                 Nuggets guard Chauncey Billups, traded by the Celtics
                 just months after they drafted him No. 3 overall in June
                 1997, would be happy just to play. But he and Bryant
                 Stith, suffering from sprains to their left ankles, are
                 not expected to play until the Nuggets' home game Sunday
                 against San Antonio, at the earliest.

                 "You know I want to play in Boston,'' Billups said. "I've
                 been waiting for Boston ever since I got traded last
                 year. When the (schedule for) the short season came out,
                 that was the first game I looked for - now look at me.''