In many ways, a lost cause

NEW YORK -- You can forgive the good folks who attended last night's Celtics-Knicks game at Madison Square Garden if they left scratching their heads.

This was the hottest team in the league? Ricky Davis for Sixth Man? Antoine Walker, playing inside, shooting almost 50 percent from the field? These guys are the Atlantic Division runaway leaders?

It all came crashing down for the Celtics. Their seven-game winning streak, longest in the league (for one day, anyway), is over. Davis was brutal; when he wasn't missing (2 for 10) he was yapping (one technical).

And Walker, who was the key to the team's 11-1 run, looked out of sorts all night. He was 5 for 20 from the field. He took six treys, missing four. But he also had 10 rebounds and was the only Celtic (13 points) in double figures.

Prior to the game, Knicks coach Herb Williams was asked what he saw in the new Walker.

"He seems to be more focused. His approach to the game is different. I'm not saying it was bad before. I don't see a lot of the antics he used to do. He seems more serious," Williams said.

Asked about Walker after the game, Celtics coach Doc Rivers said, "I thought Antoine pressed a bit. But he was trying to get us going. He tried to do too much. I thought we all did."

Walker left the game for good with 4:34 remaining, the Celtics down by 25. As he came to the bench, he said to no one in particular, "We beat ourselves." A fan shot back, "You sure did."

No way out
The weather stranded the Celtics in New York and they were scheduled to fly back to Boston late this morning. Plans for practice -- which Rivers wanted after what he saw last night -- remained up in the air . . . The loss, coupled with Philadelphia's victory over the Pistons, dropped the Celtics' Atlantic Division lead to 4 1/2 games. Boston has 14 games left, the 76ers 15 . . . Paul Pierce's 5 points represented a season low. He had 6 against Portland Dec. 9. "I'll take the blame for the loss," said Pierce, who was limited to 23 minutes mainly because of foul trouble. "I didn't give us much of a chance." . . . One of the many signs of futility in the game for Boston: Tony Allen attempting an alley-oop to Walker while the Celtics had a two-on-one fast break. The pass never connected. Rivers sought out the rookie shortly thereafter and said, "You got a fast break, we don't throw lobs. Make the guy on defense stop you." . . . The 6 points for the recently red-hot Davis was his lowest output since he went scoreless in eight minutes against the Nets Feb. 2. But he was sick that night. Prior to that, he had 4 points against the Grizzlies Dec. 29 . . . Highlight hoop of the game was Jamal Crawford driving to the basket, throwing the ball off the glass, collecting it, and finishing with a dunk. Unless it was an off-the-glass, 22-footer by seldom-used Bruno Sundov with 26.6 seconds left. Why can't we get players like that? . . . Prior to the game, Rivers said he has one big fear going forward -- the lack of a stopper. He thinks Allen is made for that role, but that Allen, as a rookie, doesn't get the calls. (That is an article of faith in the NBA.) True to form, Allen fouled out in 19 minutes . . . The Knicks were without Kurt Thomas, who missed his second straight game with an infected left elbow.