Hot time for Baker, Celtics

["Stephen Beauregard" <sb@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hot time for Baker, Celtics
By Shira Springer, Globe Staff, 11/10/2003

Jim O'Brien could not have been prouder. The Celtics coach finally saw his
team dig in and play defense the way he dreams it up and drills it in
practice. And it could not have come at a better time with the high-scoring
Kings at the FleetCenter. If O'Brien ever wishes to reinforce the importance
of defense, he need only replay the Celtics' 91-82 victory over Sacramento
last night.

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To place the win in proper context, consider: Sacramento arrived in town with
one of the most potent offenses in the league. O'Brien said the Kings were a
joy to watch with the way they move the ball and score -- unless you were a
coach preparing to play them. For opponents, a team shooting 47.8 percent
(first in the league) and averaging 106.0 points (second) can be more than a
daunting challenge. O'Brien called the Kings "an offensive juggernaut."

At first, it appeared the Celtics were going to be overwhelmed as they fell
behind, 15-2, in less than four minutes. But the Celtics believe they can be
one of the top three defensive teams in the NBA and showed why that could be
the case. Boston held Sacramento to 35.6 percent shooting from the floor and
24 points below their average. The Celtics' defensive numbers were even more
pronounced in the second half, with the Kings shooting 30.4 percent and
scoring just 37 points.

"We [got] down and acted like we wanted to play," said O'Brien of his team's
defensive effort over the last two quarters. "There's not going to be any
surprises when we win. When we win, we're going to defend. If we're not
winning, it's because we're not defending. If you look at the stat sheet when
we called time [in the first quarter], it's like 12-2 and they're shooting 75
percent. It doesn't take a genius to figure out what the problem is. You've
got to defend. If you don't, a team like [Sacramento] embarrasses you."

Instead of suffering any embarrassment, Boston snapped a three-game losing
streak, defeated the Kings at home for the first time since Jan. 7, 2000,
improved to 2-0 against Western Conference opponents, and reached the .500
mark (3-3) again. For the first time this season, the Celtics maintained a
fourth-quarter lead and they did so with poise and a minimum of forced shots
by Paul Pierce.

In the final period, Boston held Sacramento to 18.2 percent shooting (4 for
22). Peja Stojakovic, who entered with the No. 2 scoring average in the league
(27.8), finished with just 13 points. Kedrick Brown deserved most of the
credit for that. Overall, the Celtics defended the Kings' perimeter players as
aggressively as possible and made the big men try to convert their jump shots.
Brad Miller did that early, scoring 12 of his team-high 19 in the first. But
Boston's defense picked up as the game progressed.

The Celtics got just the type of confidence-building win they needed. Despite
an off night from Pierce (17 points on 7-for-19 shooting, including 0 for 4
from 3-point range), Boston had plenty of offense available. When O'Brien
rested Pierce, the Celtics were able to either increase their lead or gain
ground.

For the third time this season, Vin Baker led the team in scoring (18 points)
and added a team-high 13 rebounds. The Celtics spent much of Saturday's
practice working on ways to get the ball to Baker, since he was leading the
league in field goal percentage entering the game. It was time well spent. Off
the bench, Mark Blount (10 points), Eric Williams (12 points), and Raef
LaFrentz (9 points, 9 rebounds) provided important contributions.

"Because we're such a new team, I think we're learning more and more about
ourselves every game and every day," said Baker. "I think we learned a lot
about ourselves [last night]. We're trying to build our identity and trying to
build character. So, obviously, Paul not having a huge night scoring, and us
beating a quality team like Sacramento, is huge for our confidence."

The first character test came when the Celtics fell behind by 13 less than
four minutes into the first. But in the Celtics' favor was the fact that the
Kings are one of the worst defensive teams in the league. So, before the Kings
could truly pile it on, the Celtics attacked the visitors, climbing back into
the game by closing the first with a 15-2 run to take a 26-25 lead. The Kings
surged again at the end of the second quarter, gaining a 45-39 halftime
advantage.

Brown tied the game, 51-51, with a wide-open 3-pointer from the right corner
with 7:02 left in the third. The Celtics did a good job of finding the open
man for uncontested shots. But the game remained tight in the third. A
3-pointer and running 8-footer from Marcus Banks accounted for Boston's final
two baskets in the third and gave the Green a 73-69 lead entering the fourth.
Behind their defense, the Celtics steadily stretched their advantage to a
game-high 13 (91-78) in the final period.

"We kept our composure," said Pierce. "That was the key. We haven't been doing
that the last few games down the stretch."

Thanks,

Steve
sb@xxxxxxxxxxxx