BOSTON, Nov. 2 - Larry Brown has the title he always wanted and the job he once dreamed about. The only thing left to complete the lofty vision he has carried for more than 30 years is to make the Knicks actually look like a Larry Brown team.

On opening night of the Brown era, the Knicks sometimes passed the ball the way Brown asked them to, and occasionally rebounded and defended. Then the hour got late and the game got tight and, in the words of center Eddy Curry, "We kind of came unglued."

In the end, the Knicks fell far short of meeting Brown's many demands. They were outhustled and outscored by 20-6 in overtime, and lost, 114-100, to the Boston Celtics on Wednesday night at the TD Banknorth Garden.

Despite some nice moments and a solid Knicks debut from Curry (19 points, 8 rebounds), Brown came away disappointed with the team's performance in several critical areas. The Knicks were outrebounded, 57-41; committed 22 turnovers; and put the Celtics on the free-throw line a staggering 47 times.

"We'll get better," Brown said.

He can only hope the improvement comes quickly enough to deliver a better result for Friday night's home opener against the Washington Wizards.

The Knicks led the Celtics by as many as 8 points in the first half, and Curry got off to a strong start. Playing his first game since late March - when the Chicago Bulls benched him over concerns about the condition of his heart - Curry logged 42 minutes despite a head cold.

Clearly, Curry is not in prime shape. He missed several shots around the basket and had trouble converting through contact, going 6 for 15 from the field. He also missed 7 of 14 free throws.

"I felt real good," Curry said. "Coach Brown saw me winded a couple times, and he kept me out there to try and help me push through it. I respect him for that. I'm extremely happy to be playing again."

Stephon Marbury, the only member of last season's starting five in Brown's opening lineup, had his usual numbers: 22 points and 7 assists. Quentin Richardson started alongside Marbury; he hit three 3-pointers and finished with 11 points. He also wore a heating pad on his back on the bench late in the game, perhaps an indication that his old back injury is still lingering.

The Knicks could not score in overtime, nor could they contain the Celtics' stars when it mattered. Paul Pierce scored 30 points and Ricky Davis added 27, with 9 in overtime.

Pierce scored the first 2 points in overtime, and Boston - with a 6-1 rebound advantage - never gave the lead back. The Celtics put the game away with an 11-0 run.

Boston had a 93-90 lead with less than a minute to play in regulation. Marbury's driving layup cut the lead to a point with 16.3 seconds left, and Antonio Davis hit a 4-foot fadeaway with 2.6 seconds left to tie the score at 94-94.

Brown's official debut as Knicks coach provided positive jitters and odd feelings. The Brooklyn-born Brown had called this his dream job. On the other hand, the team he coached Wednesday bore little resemblance to the team he left after Game 7 of the finals in June.

The Detroit Pistons would not have been outrebounded by 57-41. And they probably would not have been locked in a struggle to beat a team as young and undisciplined as the Celtics.

After adding Curry, Davis and Jerome James, the Knicks figured to have a size advantage against most opponents, so the lack of interior defense and the rebounding problems loomed large.

"Our rebounding killed us," Marbury said. "Our rebounding has to come from all five guys."

Forced to name a starting lineup after weeks of playing coy, Brown finally disclosed his choices 90 minutes before tip-off, and perhaps he bruised some feelings. Richardson, despite missing nearly all of training camp, started at shooting guard, pushing Jamal Crawford - who started 67 games last season - to the bench.

Crawford's verbal reaction was diplomatic, although his tone and body language were less so.

"I think I had a great camp, I adjusted well, but I'll just be professional and be ready when my number's called; that's it," said Crawford, motioning with his arms that he did not want to answer any other questions. "That was my statement, I'm done with it."

Prodded further, Crawford repeated his statement. But he did not deny that he was disappointed, saying: "It's all right. Life goes on."

Brown said that starting Richardson while he was still warmed up would help his nagging hamstring. Brown also said that Crawford's ability to play either guard position provided flexibility in the substitution pattern. Crawford, a point guard for most of his career, is the Knicks' only experienced playmaker aside from Marbury.

Crawford said it was more important to play at the end of the game than the beginning, and he played the entire fourth quarter and overtime.

The change in role came with mixed results. In 36 minutes, Crawford had 11 points, 3 assists and 6 turnovers.