It's only taken 10 years, four coaches and lots of pain and agony, but the retirement of Larry Bird may finally have stopped haunting the Boston Celtics.

They are 11-6 and atop the Atlantic Division, and in a conference that still has not developed a personality because of injuries or inconsistency, the Celtics very well could make the playoffs for the first time in six seasons.

There are, primarily, two reasons, and their names are Paul Pierce and Antoine Walker, perhaps the best forward tandem in the league.

A few years ago, everybody thought Walker, named an All-Star within his first few seasons, was the answer to an organization that has suffered the deaths of Len Bias and Reggie Lewis, as well as the successive retirements of Bird, Kevin McHale and Robert Parish.

But, as it turns out, Pierce, the kid from Kansas who inexplicably slid to the ninth pick, is becoming the star, while Walker is his wingman.

Or, perhaps more appropriately, his co-pilot - because Walker certainly is capable of flying the plane by himself on certain nights.

"They can score, and not only can they score, they can create their own scoring opportunities,'' Orlando Magic coach Doc Rivers said of the twosome. "You know, there are a lot of scorers in the league that need somebody else to create the shot for them. Here you have two players on the same team that can create their own shot."