But the Celtics (47-13), who host Detroit tomorrow, displayed transformative qualities, president of basketball operations Danny Ainge making moves as he did a year ago with the late-season additions of P.J. Brown and Sam Cassell.
Ray Allen (30 points), Glen Davis (18 points), and Rajon Rondo (career-high-tying 17 assists) appeared energized by the circumstances.
Allen thrived in a three-guard setup as the Celtics pulled away early in the third quarter, converting a 4-point play, a 3-pointer, and a 20-footer during a 16-4 run.
Allen and Marbury combined to stretch the lead to 13 points after Marbury replaced Paul Pierce 15 seconds into the quarter. Marbury found Allen for a 20-footer with 11:06 to go, then hit a 16-footer, found Allen for a 3-pointer, scored on a lefthanded layup, and banked in a shot off a Moore rebound for a 92-79 lead with 8:23 remaining.
Kendrick Perkins went into a composure funk, giving away a rebound to Jeff Foster, then went into foul overdrive, his fifth setting up T.J. Ford for two free throws, which cut the Indiana deficit to 103-99 with 35 seconds left. But Davis, replacing Garnett in the starting lineup, scored the last 6 Celtics points, closing things out by converting a free throw with 20.9 seconds to go.
Marbury, who spent the first four months of the season attempting to negotiate a buyout of his $21 million contract from the New York Knicks, might have been expected to turn the Celtics' locker room into a stage for comic opera. But he got into the team spirit, entering to a standing ovation with 19.4 seconds remaining in the opening quarter and finishing with 8 points in 13 minutes, then noting the TD Banknorth Garden crowd "really showed me a lot of love."
"He still had the timing, which you usually don't have," coach Doc Rivers said. "I was really surprised - you sit out that long and your timing is that good."
Marbury started the second quarter with Pierce, Eddie House, Moore, and Leon Powe. The first time he directed the offense, Marbury found Powe underneath, then converted his first shot, a 15-footer, for a 29-20 lead.
But this improvised Celtics lineup soon lost its way.
