Down 19, C's Come Back to Trip Knicks

Celtics move to 2-0
1990-91 Boston Celtics

Emotional pregame speeches are generally not a prerequisite this early in the season. The Celtics particularly didn't need to be reminded last night what happened the last time they played the New York Knicks.

Boston's unusually long summer was courtesy of its Manhattan rivals, courtesy of a humiliating Game 5 loss in the opening round of the playoffs on the Celtics ' own parquet floor.

"I think it's safe to say it was in the back of everyone's minds," said Reggie Lewis.

The Boys in Green rendered the bad fallout moot last night by stunning the Knicks, 106-103, in New York's home opener. They did so despite falling behind by 19 early (29-10) and by 17 in the third (56-39).

Much has happened to the Boston franchise since Al Bianchi lit his victory cigar last May. It fired Jimmy Rodgers, decided not to re-sign Dennis Johnson, encouraged Jim Paxson to find employment elsewhere, and convinced Brian Shaw to return and join the fight against Gotham City. They also drafted Dee Brown and tried (again) to implement an uptempo style.

New York, meanwhile, looks vaguely familiar. The Knicks lost Johnny Newman, added Jerrod Mustaf, and still rely way too much on Patrick Ewing.

"I'm concerned," said coach Stu Jackson, after his team lost its lead and ultimately the game while Ewing snatched some rest. "I don't really know what we're going to do about it. There are several options. One is that we have to find somebody within our team who is able to hold defensively, at least somewhat. The other is to extend the defense on them and try to cover for ourselves for those stretches."

Jackson left Ewing in the game with five fouls in the final 6:52, a time when the center clearly wore down.

It has been mentioned before this Boston team doesn't go for team cheers and pompons, yet clearly they were buoyed by beating the guys who sent them fishing last May.

"What happened last year means nothing anymore," said McHale. "This is the first hurdle of many. Maybe we'll win the division over New York by one game, and we'll look back on this game as the reason."

KLEINE MISSES TRIP

Backup center Joe Kleine, who absorbed a powerful, yet inadvertent, elbow to the jaw from Cleveland forward Hot Rod Williams Friday night, did not make the trip to New York. He is suffering from a concussion, but is expected to return Tuesday for an out-of-town date with Chicago.

"He is still experiencing some dizziness, and he's a little nauseous," said trainer Ed Lacerte. "He's got a bad headache, and a swollen jaw."

Lacerte said Kleine was knocked unconscious by the blow.

"He was out," he confirmed. "He had a certain amount of memory loss. He wasn't sure what happened until someone recalled it for him."