Celts Say Bye To Floor, Hawks

The great moments that took place on the Boston Celtics' parquet floor are fading from memory, and now "the most famous floor in sports" is, too.

The Celtics said goodbye on Wednesday night to the floor they have used since 1946, giving it a halftime sendoff usually reserved for retiring numbers and championship banner-raisings 16 NBA titles in all, the last in 1986.

"This floor was a part of all that. It watched over the greatest sports team dynasty that ever was, and probably that ever will be," former Celtics guard Bob Cousy told the crowd. "It probably has had more Hall of Famers trod on its boards than any floor in captivity."

Although this game didn't create any memories on a par with "Havlicek stole the ball," at least it was a win.

"We definitely didn't want to spoil it," said Antoine Walker, who scored 24 points to help the Celtics snap a six-game losing streak and send the Hawks to their fourth consecutive loss.

After a short postgame reception on the floor, the FleetCenter bull gang began pulling up its 988 bolts and 264 panels at 10:41 p.m. On Jan. 3, they will unveil a new floor built to resemble the one that supported the team over 53 years in two buildings.

"I get very emotional about tradition. That's one of the reasons I love being a Celtics coach," a jovial Rick Pitino said. "It's a memory every time you walk out."

The Celtics led by 14 points after one quarter, 18 after two, 24 after three and 87-59 early in the fourth before the Hawks scored eight consecutive points. Jamel Thomas completed a three-poinplay and Kenny Anderson added a layup to squelch the charge.

"So many championships and so many legends have played on that floor," said Anderson, who had 13 points and 10 assists. "So now I know I've played on it."

LaPhonso Ellis, who had spent the entire season on Atlanta's injured list with a strained left calf, scored 13 points, as did Bimbo Coles. Dikembe Mutombo had 13 rebounds.

Isaiah Rider and Jim Jackson combined to make just eight of 27 shots for the Hawks, who had their lowest output of the season.

"Our defense was horrendous," Atlanta coach Lenny Wilkens said. "We play harder in practice than we do in games."

Adrian Griffin added 10 rebounds for Boston, which had not won since Paul Pierce was injured Dec. 12.

The Celtics built the floor for $11,000 during a World War II wood shortage that forced them to use short scraps of red oak that gave the floor its trademark parquet look. When the team moved out of the old Boston Garden in 1996, they took the floor with them.

In the afternoon, the Celtics offered ticket-holders for Wednesday night's game the chance to walk on the floor. Some hoisted fake 3-pointers and free throws, others carried their children over the beaten wood and bolts, pointing to spots that were scenes of great Celtics moments.

"It's horrible," said 19-year-old Casey Meserve, who fought holiday traffic to pay her respects. "It's a shame. It's been through so much. Havlicek stole the ball here. Larry Bird did so many incredible things. It's not just a floor."

The new $200,000 floor will look much the same as the old one, complete with the leprechaun at center court. But it will have a shock-absorbing system that should ease the wear and tear on the players.

Anderson, the Celtics guard, said the old floor wasn't noticeably different than others the team plays on, including those in new arenas.

"It's a decent floor," he said. "It held up all those years."

Notes