Projo: Storm turns players into snow shovelers

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Storm turns players into snow shovelers

BOSTON -- With the warmer weather earlier last week, Boston Celtics
guard Bryant Stith was getting
ready to have his golf clubs shipped up from his home in Virginia. He
decided to leave them there for a
little while longer, though, now that the ground is covered by nearly
two feet of snow.

"I haven't seen this much snow since my rookie year in Denver. We had a
big blizzard, about 27 inches," the eight-year veteran said.

Stith, who lives with his family in Weston, Mass., enjoyed spending time
with his four children, who were home from school yesterday. While they
built a snowman, he shoveled his driveway. Figuring it would be easier
to shovel in stages, Stith went out every couple of hours.

He's decided he may invest in a small pickup truck with a plow next
winter.

"That was too much work, man," he said.

Kenny Anderson said he did some shoveling, as well.

"Really? You did?" someone asked him.

"Nah!" he said with a smile.

After growing up in Illinois, Antoine Walker said this storm was nothing
compared to what he's encountered over the years.

He and Eric Williams laughed when they heard some of their teammates had
been shoveling. Because they both live in a complex in Waltham, Mass.,
snow removal is included in their condo fees.

"That's what we pay the high rent for," said Walker.

A California native, Milt Palacio enjoyed his first experience with
snow. He spent about 45 minutes shoveling -- and actually strained his
back slightly, although he says he's fine.

"It was crazy," said Palacio, who also lives in Waltham. "It was wild.
My girlfriend is here, so while I was shoveling, she was throwing
snowballs at me. It was a neat experience. I mean, the snow was up to my
back window, so I'm like, 'How am I going to get out of here?' So I had
to shovel."

Coach Jim O'Brien said even he was out shoveling for a couple of hours
yesterday.

"I'm 100 percent," he assured reporters. "I did not hurt my mind."

Walker shatters mark

Walker set a team record for 3-pointers in a season with the first two
of his seven treys last night against Milwaukee. He has now hit 156 of
416 shots from the perimeter.

He had already set a team record for 3-pointers in a game with nine,
which he did during a 47-point performance against Sacramento on Jan.
17.

Former Celtic Dana Barros previously held the record when he went
150-for-368 from behind the arc during the 1995-96 season.

He's learned his lesson

Anderson, on the injured list Feb. 26 with a sprained right ankle,
wouldn't put a time frame on his return.


"All throughout my career, I always try to come back too fast," said the
point guard.

Anderson said his ankle remains sore, and there is still some swelling,
although it has gone down. He said the arch in his right foot has
started bothering him.

He has been spending his time on the stationary bike and the treadmill,
as well as lifting weights.

No offensive balance

In contrast to the Bucks, who have five players averaging in double
figures, Boston has just three. Paul Pierce and Walker are contributing
24.3 and 23.1 points, respectively, per game. Stith has been averaging
10.1.

The only two Boston starters to score last night, Pierce and Walker
accounted for 66 of the Celts' 94 points, combining for 23 of their
first 28.

"We're always looking to upgrade our talent. That's something that we're
going to have to do after the season," O'Brien said. "Now we'll settle
for what we have and try to win with the people that we have on our team
right now."