Baker savors his cozy comeback

["Stephen Beauregard" <sb@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Baker savors his cozy comeback
By Mark Murphy/Celtics Notebook
Friday, October 31, 2003

It was good to wake up as Vin Baker yesterday morning.

     From the power forward's 15-point performance during the Celtics' win
over Miami Wednesday night to moving ovations from the FleetCenter crowd
during his introduction and departure from the game, nothing could have
stirred him more.

     ``I'm so appreciative of what the fans of Boston did last night,'' he
said after yesterday's practice. ``I'll never forget it for the rest of my
career.

     ``It was the best night I've had as a pro. I couldn't have scripted it or
asked a writer to write it better, considering how the last nine months have
gone for me.''

     That said, Baker was also glad to get back to the simple, unemotional
business of basketball yesterday.

     ``I'm even-keeled,'' he said. ``(Wednesday night) was a dream come true,
but the most important thing for me (yesterday) was to refocus.''

     Celtics coach Jim O'Brien can appreciate Baker's fight to kick alcoholism
better than most.

     ``I felt about as good as you can feel about a player doing what he
did,'' said O'Brien. ``Knowing how he dealt with adversity, I couldn't feel
happier for (Baker) and his family.''

     O'Brien knows, because the former college coach has gone through these
situations before with players.

     ``If you're in coaching long enough, you go through situations that are
worse than (Baker's),'' he said. ``I had a situation where I got a call one
Christmas morning from one of my players whose house had just burned down, and
his mother and sister were killed.

     ``But I think Vin will continue to get better. With Vin and everyone
else, we're just trying to get them all into some kind of flow.''

     Starting on right foot

      There is indeed a postscript to the Celtics' decision to break tradition
and wear white sneakers for home games this season.

     Though the Celtics were once known for being the only team with black and
green footwear, there is no such novelty anymore, according to director of
basketball operations Danny Ainge.

     ``Now it's not unique,'' he said. ``Now every college team and high
school team not only wears black shoes - they also wear black socks. And it's
up to whoever your captains are, that's the way I look at it.

     ``Besides, it's not as if it's been lucky for us.''

     Numbers game

     Wednesday's win over the Heat produced an incredible array of statistics,
from six players in double figures and seven players with five or more
rebounds to the fact that the Celtics attached 28 assists to 37 baskets.

     ``The 28 assists are what impressed me,'' said Paul Pierce [news]. ``I
can't remember the last time we had that many as a team in a game. But a lot
of this comes with practicing with one another, and loving the fact that we
play together. Just go out and have fun - that's a big part of it.''

     Said O'Brien: ``(Balance) almost has to happen because it correlates to
the minutes everyone is playing. If you play Paul plus nine other guys, they
have to put up those rebounding and assist numbers. It's a sign that we have
good depth, but they also have to continue to produce.''
Thanks,

Steve
sb@xxxxxxxxxxxx