Seattle fans started Tueday?s game against Boston by booing Vin Baker.

They were merciless early on.  But by half time, the Tacoma News-Tribune?s Frank Hughes reports the Seattle fans had turned their vitriolic attention on the Sonics.  

Baker was on the floor for much of the second quarter when the Celtics took a big lead that they later hung onto.

Baker?s line was, for him, respectable: nine points and three rebounds in 16 minutes.  Not bad for someone getting an 8-digit salary.

The only reason the Sonics made a game of it in the second half is that Paul Pierce was out with an injury, and Antoine Walker was in foul trouble.

After a promising start, the Sonics are 21-28.  They expected to start up after the all-star break with a better performance than the 40-point loss to the Celtics a week earlier which had Sonics coach Nate McMillan said his team lacked both effort and heart.

"You'd think by this point in the season the team would be getting better," Sonics guard Brent Barry said.