Celtics: a good result

Q: What happens when two struggling teams with records well below .500 meet in the chilly TD Banknorth Garden in the midst of a blizzard?

A: A mess inside and outside.

It wasn't the most visually appealing contest for the approximately 7,000 fans who braved the storm. But when all was said and done, the Celtics found something to admire in their 102-94 win, even if only the final result. It was just the third time this season the Celtics have won consecutive games. Boston wants to enter All-Star break on a roll, and it will attempt to take three in a row for the first time this season against LeBron James and Cleveland Wednesday night.

All five starters finished in double figures led by Paul Pierce (31 points) and Wally Szczerbiak (24). But the most impressive performance came from rookie Ryan Gomes in his second start of the season. Gomes finished with 14 points (4-for-8 shooting) and was one rebound shy of a double-double, giving Boston a much needed lift on offense and on the glass during his 44 minutes. The starters logged lots of minutes and were almost entirely responsible for the victory. Brian Scalabrine (3 points) was the only bench player who scored. Then again, among the reserves, only Scalabrine and Orien Greene saw significant time.

Coach Doc Rivers shortened more than just the rotation last night. He also trimmed the play list to three sets, cutting back to two in the decisive fourth quarter. The coach wanted to run plays Szczerbiak knew well with the group of players he felt most comfortable with. The strategy worked as the Celtics confidently executed on offense in the closing minutes, never surrendering their lead. With the exception of a pair of turnovers in the final 30 seconds (just the team's ninth and 10th of the game), Boston actually looked like a group that knew what to do in close games. And that was a marked difference from earlier this season.

''We've just been running a couple sets, running a couple slashing plays," said Pierce. ''We're getting guys like me and Wally the ball at places where we're good at scoring the ball. When they trap, we find open guys. We're just keeping it simple. It definitely helps us get into the flow. When you play those type of extended minutes with that group [of starters] everyone is understanding their role and feeding off one another."

After breaking an 84-84 tie on a 3-point play by Pierce with 4:35 left in the game, Boston built an 8 point advantage with Gomes, Pierce, and LaFrentz getting to the line. Orlando cut the lead to 4 on a couple occasions, but Boston never panicked. The Celtics continued to make their way to the line to close out the contest. The shot 50 percent (5 for 10) from the floor in the fourth and went 18 for 19 from the line in the quarter.

''The difference is we're out there looking for each other," said Delonte West (14 points, 9 assists). ''We know what we want to accomplish on every play. We have a common goal. We're trying to win the second half of the season."

The last time the Celtics faced the Magic, they fell behind big and spent the rest of the contest playing catch-up. Last night they tried the opposite approach. After leading by as many as 13 (28-15) late in the first quarter, Boston entered halftime ahead 47-45. Keyon Dooling hit a 9-footer at the buzzer to cap a 7-1 Magic run, bringing the visitors within 2 and helping them grab momentum before the break. Even though the Celtics led for much of the first half, they needed to regroup after struggling in the second quarter.

Boston allowed Orlando to shoot 82 percent (9 for 11) in the second and play itself back into the game largely behind the efforts of sophomore standout Dwight Howard. But the league's leading rebounder (12.7 per game) did his best work at the line, not on the glass. Howard scored 9 points in the second and all of them came at the line. In fact, he attempted just one field goal during the opening half, and that came in the first quarter. It would be only a matter of time before Howard started hitting from the floor.

The Magic wouldn't be able to do much without him, especially since leading scorer and oft-injured Grant Hill went to the locker room midway through the second half and did not return until early in the fourth. Orlando's No. 2 scorer, Steve Francis (9 points), was off the mark for most of the game, going 1 for 7 through three quarters with West guarding him for significant stretches.

The Magic completed their comeback in the third, tying the game, 47-47, on an 18-footer by Howard with 11:34 left in the quarter. In a quarter in which neither team played well defensively, Orlando led by as many as 3 points near the end of the third before Boston took a 72-71 lead on a fast-break layup by Gomes.

''I like where we're at as a team," said Rivers. ''I love our team spirit. I've been talking about it before even these two [wins]. You can just see it. In the timeouts, guys are engaged. They want to win. They want to play together."

Time will tell if the Celtics are onto something, or if this is just another momentary high spot in an up-and-down season.