More on DEE-Fense

[Theresa Lee <tjoyce@mit.edu>]

	Saying and doing all the right things. Is our co-captain turning a corner
this season?

Theresa

	The Celtics continue to think defense first, or at least that
                      is what their public statements indicate. In fact,
the emphasis on
                 discouraging opposition offenses should probably go
without saying. But
                 young teams often need mantras and slogans, and the
Celtics have chosen
                 defense as their buzzword.

                 ''Things started to go our way, and that's a big boost for
us,'' Antoine Walker
                 said while preparing for tonight's game against Toronto.
''We feel can score
                 with anyone, but defensively we are still a little
suspect. We are still missing
                 the full four quarters of defense we need to win on the
road. One area you
                 can always be consistent in is defense.''

                 But the Celtics are counting on Walker to also perform
consistently and/or
                 spectacularly on offense. Walker scored 39 points in a
99-96 win at New
                 Jersey Saturday and 31 in a 105-101 victory at Washington
Monday as the
                 Celtics doubled their season road-victory total to four.

                 ''I played well on the road trip,'' Walker said. ''I was
able to establish myself
                 inside a lot against New Jersey and get some easy buckets.
And the team got
                 back to running, which is everyone running.

                 ''For us to go out and win two road games is a
confidence-booster. We've
                 had a lot of games we could have won on the road and you
could understand
                 it if we didn't have the talent. But we feel we have as
much talent as anybody
                 in the league from our first through our 12th player.''

                 Judging by shooting accuracy, Walker has not been
consistent this season.
                 Walker's field goal percentage is 41.7. He shot 25 for 73
during a recent
                 four-game stretch in which the Celtics won once. But since
then, Walker has
                 converted on 29 of 58 shots, setting up the Celtics for a
chance to win more
                 than twice in succession for the first time since Nov. 5.

                 ''We've been getting a lot from Antoine the last three
weeks,'' coach Rick
                 Pitino said. ''He is defending much better, he is more of
a leader. He is
                 focused much more on winning.

                 ''It was a matter of him just being tired of losing. His
head is in the right place
                 and I love his attitude. He is a court leader and it is
with words. He is not the
                 type who will go out there and just lead by example.
Physically, he is much
                 stronger because he is spending more time in the weight
room. He figured out
                 why the team was losing and he is doing things to correct
it.''

                 Walker was especially effective against the Nets, as he
also had 11 rebounds.

                 ''I want to get to the low post and make myself as much of
an inside presence
                 as possible,'' Walker said. ''That makes things easier for
Kenny and Paul
                 Pierce. I've been going to the basket and getting some
calls. When you get
                 those calls, it makes you want to go to the basket because
you can get to the
                 line. Against New Jersey we were in the penalty with nine
minutes left in the
                 fourth quarter.

                 ''I just try to play basketball the way I'm used to
playing - being versatile and
                 doing a lot of different things on the court, making
sacrifices. I try to lead on
                 the court and I try to lead by example. We are in a state
of emergency if we
                 want to make the playoffs, and I want to be as consistent
as possible, night in
                 and night out.''

                 Asked who would guard Vince Carter tonight, Pitino
replied: ''It won't be
                 Adrian [Griffin].'' Griffin (sprained right ankle) has
been on the injured list
                 since Jan. 9 but could return for Friday's game against
Seattle.