The Mark Acres Chronicles

11/19/1987

When all was said and done, after two overtimes, 94 fouls and countless situations when the game appeared over, the Celtics dashed off with a 111-109 double overtime victory on a Darren Daye tip-in with no time remaining. All those Celtics fans who have been screaming to see the rookies got more than just a look during crunch time last night.

Mark Acres was on the floor for 34 minutes and would have finished had he not fouled out at 2:29 of the second overtime. Though he was scoreless (0 for 3 from the floor), Acres came up with one key rebound after another down the stretch and finished with 12 for the game.

Reggie Lewis was thrown into the hot seat for 24 minutes, responding with 9 points and 2 assists, including a big offensive slam in the second OT and a pull-up jumper in the fourth quarter that pulled Boston within 7 (82-75) and prompted New York to signal for time. Brad Lohaus logged just seven minutes but kept good defensive position on Patrick Ewing, took a charge on Gerald Wilkins and hit two big free throws at 1:29 of the second OT.

"When I got out there, Reggie and I kind of gave each other a nervous smile," said Lohaus. "But it means a lot to our confidence to be out there when it matters, especially in a crazy game like this."

How's this for deja vu? The last time Rick Pitino came to Boston Garden was as the coach of Providence College, when his club lost to Boston College on a last-second tip-in by Ted Kelley.