Wallace cool with pyrotechnics, but not Stern

CLEVELAND -- We sought out Ben Wallace before Game 4 to inquire whether he had any issue with the pyrotechnics that were used during the Celtics' pregame introductions. Evidently, smoke from the fireworks, in combination with a viral inner left ear infection, left Wallace feeling dizzy and light-headed before Game 2 at TD Banknorth Garden, forcing him out with 8:20 remaining in the first quarter.

Although he had been listed as doubtful, Wallace came back and started Game 3, but he was absent from the bench during the pregame introductions at Quicken Loans Center, in which fireworks shoot from the top of the scoreboard over center court and fire shoots out of four sabres.

Wallace, though, took no issue with the fireworks displays at the Garden, saying, ``Pyrotechnics are a part of the game; it don't bother me. I'm good.''

Speaking to reporters before Game 4, NBA commissioner David Stern expressed his disdain for such pregame practices.

``I'm going to get in trouble for this, OK? I think they're ridiculous,'' Stern said. ``I think that the noise, the fire, the smoke, is a kind of assault that we should seriously consider reviewing in whether it's really necessary given the quality of our game.

``It may be that these are the manaical rantings of a fan from a different era,'' Stern added, ``but I'm sitting there waiting for the next cannon to go off and then the fire heats up the arena and raises the temperature by 15 degrees -- and that's if you can see it because you're always waiting for the smoke, which is chemical, to clear, which is invariably done by the end of the half.

``But I always bite my tongue because I say, `Well, maybe I'm not the demographic that likes to be assaulted by loud rap, smoke, pyrotechnics and chemicals.' I guess it makes me outdated, but I think it's time for us to say, `Hey, guys, let's look at it one more time.' ''

So it's safe to say the commish doesn't have any loud rap on his iPod?

``That's right,'' he said. ``How do you spell Simon and Garfunkel, The Beach Boys, or Billy Joel. I'm lost. But that's OK. I appreciate there's new age music, hip-hop. It's fine, but the reality is I think what's happened is some very well-intentioned people feel it's their obligation to root their team on to victory, to urge them, and they do it by turning up the loudspeaker in the building, even though there are babies in the building.

``I think it's going to be interesting. I think we should have it as a time capsule item, because in some future center people are going to look at it and say, `What were they thinking?'