The first game I ever played in as a young aficionado of basketball came in a 44-2 CYO loss to St. Catherine's of Somerville, Mass. Jay Mahoney's long-distance banker saved the mighty orange and black of St. Peter's from the shutout. In a related note, the team I cheered for, the Boston Celtics, was also terrible, the dawn of the Larry Bird era not yet at hand.

I don't remember any other particular basket from those days, but the emotional memory of a lone, face-saving hoop by Jay hangs in there. Losing stinks that badly. And it's bad when the team you back reeks.

Jump ahead a generation. Losing still stinks. And Boston Celtics coach Doc Rivers, canned 10 losses into the Orlando Magic's 19-game losing streak in 2003, has presided over plenty of defeats, 18 straight games now.

But at least it's ending. And no, it doesn't look like Rivers is getting his walking papers again.

Instead, a big "W" sits around the corner. There are few certainties in life, like long-distance Mahoney prayers, but I believe this is a sure thing: The streak will come to an end Wednesday when Milwaukee comes into Boston. It is imperative that the win comes now, since an approaching road trip has the potential to put the Celtics in the history books with a 24th straight loss. This would be a record for consecutive losses in a single season.

Motivation is one reason. The Celtics would like to stop being the subject of public ridicule. And Milwaukee, without its version of Paul Pierce, Michael Redd, is slouching around in a manner not quite as pathetic as Boston, but in the neighborhood (19-32). And the Bucks will be coming off a Tuesday night home game against Dallas.

So, while it's important to pile up the Boston "Ls" for primo draft position, it seems like doing something any normal fan should do, which is rooting for a win, is in order here. Don't want to scare Greg Oden or Kevin Durant out of the draft with record-setting awfulness, after all.

Losing is becoming a way of life. On Sunday, they lost 109-107 when, fittingly enough, they were sunk by Timberwolves guard Ricky Davis. The ex-Celtic stood like he was hailing a cab after hitting the winning shot.

Pierce looked good against the Wolves. In his second game back from a lengthy stint on the inactive list, he had 29 points in 32 minutes. Although his rise and endurance might need work, he reminded us why Boston is not completely terrible when he is on the court.

If Pierce keeps this up, the Celtics (12 wins) could pass Memphis (13), and the Sixers (17 wins) in the race for worst record. This would diminish ping-pong ball odds of getting the green mitts on the No. 1 or No. 2 pick in the draft, which should be Oden or Durant.

Pierce missed 24 games with a stress reaction in his left foot and an infection in his left elbow before returning Friday in a loss to the Nets. Because the Celtics' luck is so poor, his run of bad health is surely over and then the wins just might start to pile up. Two in a row is possible. But in order to end the losing ways for the long haul, the Celtics need to lose more.

If you dislike losing, then you need more losing. Very confusing.

The end against the Timberwolves was painful. Take this priceless sequence.

With 17.4 seconds left, the score tied at 105, Delonte West starts a halfcourt set. He feeds Pierce, who is half-heartedly doubled at the top of the key. He passes back to West, who penetrates into the lane, appears to have a clear shot, but looks for Brian Scalabrine open on the wing. Only West didn't see the 49-foot long arms of Kevin Garnett. Shot-clock violation.

Then with 3.6 seconds left, going for the win, the Timberwolves set up their inbounds play. Marko Jaric inbounded to Randy Foye, who drove the lane. Pierce tried to help, then Foye kicked it out to Davis, and that was that.

So, the streak rolls on. But just like the final buzzer of a 44-2 beating, an end comes. For Boston, it better come Wednesday.

• Talk back to The Daily Dime gang

• Dimes Past: Feb. 1 | 2 | 3-4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10-11