Homecoming: Bonner sits out Spurs loss to Celts

BOSTON – THE FLIGHT to Toronto was being catered by Legal Seafoods, which excited Dave Bonner as he left TD Banknorth Garden.

Yes, Matt Bonner's dad hitched a ride with the San Antonio Spurs last night, so it proved to be a productive trip to Boston after all.

Other than that, the Bonners and a busload of his fans had little to cheer about in a possible preview of the NBA Finals. The Celtics won, 98-90, before a thundering crowd of 18,624, and the 6-foot-10 forward from Concord High didn't play.

Bonner as a pro has made six trips to the TD Banknorth Garden, but there has never been a game like this, Spurs and Celtics, the defending NBA champs taking on the beast of the East.

MATT BONNER

It was Tim Duncan and his four championship rings against the revived Celtics, on the parquet, national TV, a sellout. With all the buzz, it had to be killing the Red Rocket as he waited to get into the game.

"That's part of being a team. You get called upon to do different things on different nights. Tonight wasn't my night. I'll be ready next time," said Bonner in the locker room before hustling back to the court and visiting with dozens of fans.

For New Hampshire fans, the only thing missing was Kevin Garnett (abdominal strain) and Bonner, who made an NBA name for himself by tussling with the Big Ticket as a rookie. But Spurs coach Gregg Popovich never called Bonner's name, and the final box score read DNP-CD - as in "Did not play, coach's decision" - for the third straight game.

The fourth-year veteran has never been able to fully enjoy his road games at Boston. His teams have defeated the Celtics once in six attempts, and a knee injury sidelined him for last year's game at Boston.

As a Raptor rookie, he hit five straight shots in the first half against the Celtics but his team eventually lost, 91-89, after Bonner was whistled for traveling in the final two minutes. Yesterday the C's played with a relatively small lineup, which typically means Bonner gets stuck on the bench.

"Any time the other team goes small, it cuts down on minutes for big men, especially if you're a reserve," said Bonner, who said he'd never seen the atmosphere at the Garden so electric.

While Paul Pierce looked unstoppable, scoring 35 points, Bonner sat directly under the 1961 World Championship banner for the entire game. At least one chant of "We Want Bonner!" could be heard in the fourth quarter.

Popovich said Bonner hasn't played as much lately because the coach is giving more minutes to Robert Horry, readying the seven-time NBA championship for the second-half of the season and playoff push.

"When Matty has played, as you might guess, he's a very physical and aggressive player," Popovich said. "He's been great on the boards and obviously spreads the floor with his three-point shot. He's been a great teammate, and somebody who over time will get more and more minutes."

In December, Bonner started three games in the absence of Tim Duncan and exploded against Golden State with 25 points and 17 rebounds. That's quite a weapon to have sitting on the pine.

"Either he plays or I play. It's hard for Matt because I'm a veteran guy," said Horry, who logged seven minutes. "You feel bad for him because he's such a great player, especially after his performance at Golden State when he went out and tried to carry the team. Then next thing you know, he doesn't play for two days."

Still, who could complain? Dave Bonner served as Santa Claus upon his arrival, giving out guest passes for a postgame reception with his son. Ask the retired mailman about following Matt's career, and he gives you the same answer he does every year: "It's a dream."

A dream realized through more hard work than most can imagine. The Bonner way is all about making the most of your opportunities and outworking the competition.

"It's like holding a winning Megabucks ticket between your two fingers, but you've got to walk five miles in a hurricane to cash it in," Dave Bonner said. "You've got to put the work in to get there."

Yesterday Matt Bonner was in the store, holding his ticket, and stuck waiting in line.

Staff writer Kevin Gray's e-mail address is kgray@unionleader.com