May- Globe

[Eggcentric@xxxxxxx]

< Asked about Baker's play, O'Brien said, ''It was OK.'' > 
  - the subtle Peter May

Talk about a ringing endorsement from coach.  

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Silence was maddening

Referees' non-call brought response

By Peter May, Globe Staff, 12/12/2002

It was a drive to the basket. We've become accustomed to watching Paul 
Pierce weave his way to the hole. This time, he got to the basket, then 
collided with Suns rookie Amare Stoudemire, a very solid young lad.

Pierce hit the floor. His right knee buckled, forcing his head to hit 
the floor. His top two front teeth were fractured; bits of them lay on 
the floor. Prospective owners Wyc Grousbeck and Steve Pagliuca sat in 
stony silence - as did everyone else - only a few feet away as Pierce 
lay prostate on the parquet.

And no one called a foul.

Referees Ken Mauer, Sean Corbin, and Scott Wall saw no contact. Jim 
O'Brien sure thought there was some, and ran onto the floor, promptly 
earning an ejection. Said his Suns counterpart, Frank Johnson, ''That's 
what a coach is supposed to do, protect his star player. I might have 
gotten into a fight.''

It was a tough night for the referees. Later in the third quarter, they 
hit Vin Baker with a belated, flagrant foul. Baker and Antoine Walker 
also drew technicals, Walker's coming as he joined O'Brien in wondering 
why there had been no call on Pierce.

''There was plenty of contact,'' Eric Williams said. ''That's what the 
NBA is all about. The referees have six eyes and the call wasn't made.''

The Celtics soon discovered that Pierce's knee was fine - only bruised 
- but that he needed a postgame trip to the dentist. The Celtics 
unraveled in the fourth quarter to lose their fourth game at home (out 
of 13), dropping a 103-94 decision.

As the final buzzer sounded, Fox Sports New England analyst Tom 
Heinsohn teed off on the officials as they passed him on their way to 
their dressing room.

''You guys were awful tonight. Absolutely terrible,'' Heinsohn said.

Mauer, the crew chief, stopped briefly and said, ''Tommy? Merry 
Christmas.''

Burst from Sun

Joe Johnson returned to Boston for the first time since he was traded 
to Phoenix almost 10 months ago. For the most part, he has been the 
same player in Phoenix he was in his latter days in Boston - undeniably 
talented but with an on/off switch programmed by Pervis Ellison. Last 
night, however, he delivered one of those games that showcased the 
talent rather than the classic reserve. He had season highs of 19 
points and 7 rebounds to go along with 3 assists and 3 steals. ''I was 
a lot more aggressive and tried to stay within myself,'' said Johnson, 
who was 7 of 14 from the field. ''I have to carry this through the 
whole season.'' The Suns will be happy if he carries it through for the 
rest of their road swing, which has two games left ... Baker got his 
first start as a Celtic, subbing for the suspended Tony Battie(one game 
for kicking a basketball at referee Mark Wunderlich). Baker logged a 
season-high 32 minutes, with 8 points and 8 rebounds. ''I felt like I 
took another step forward,'' Baker said. Asked about Baker's play, 
O'Brien said, ''It was OK.'' ... Congratulations to Ruben Wolkowyski. 
He and his wife, Mariana, are the parents of newly minted Florencia, 
who checked in Tuesday at 71/2 pounds ... The Suns' Scott Williams has 
plans for tonight: watching ESPN's telecast of a high school game 
featuring next year's No. 1 overall pick LeBron James. ''For the first 
time ever, I'm going to watch ESPN for a high school game,'' Williams 
said. ''We were going to have a team dinner in Philadelphia, but we're 
putting it on hold to see this kid.''