NBA CHAMPIONSHIP : LAKERS VS. CELTICS : He Grows on Celtics: Daye Makes Mark as Boston Reserve

Darren Daye has finally grown up.

During his basketball playing days at UCLA, Daye was criticized for being immature.

The low point of Daye’s Bruin days came when it was reported that his belching disrupted the coach’s talk at a team meal before UCLA’s game against Utah in the first round of the National Collegiate Athletic Assn. tournament in 1983, his senior year.

“It was a roller coaster at UCLA,” Daye, now 26, said. “I don’t say it was the best thing for my career to go to UCLA, but going there made me realize a few things about the world that I didn’t know.

“I don’t like to talk about UCLA too much. My experience at UCLA was good. I don’t have any regrets about the school that I chose. I had a good time and I got a good education. I imagine 60% of the kids that play college athletics go through ups and downs.”

Whatever his misadventures in college, Daye has minded his manners since joining the Boston Celtics earlier this season, and probably with good reason. Robert Parish or Larry Bird would probably belt Daye if he got out of line.

Instead, Daye is concentrating on basketball, and drawing appreciative reviews.

“I think he’s been a big factor (in the National Basketball Assn. playoffs),” Bird said of Daye. “He’s given us that added push that we’ve needed over the last two or three weeks.

“He comes in and does a good job and plays hard. We’re not afraid for him to get the ball and go one on one a little bit. He doesn’t wait for things to happen, he tries to make the plays.”

Daye, cut by the Washington Bullets and the Chicago Bulls this season, was picked up on waivers by the Celtics last December. The 6-foot 8-inch, 220-pound swing man has emerged as one of the Celtics’ top reserves.

“The Celtics are the team I always wanted to play for,” said Daye, who grew up in the San Fernando Valley. “And I was fortunate enough that they liked my game and felt I could help their team.

“I rooted for the Lakers when I was a kid, but I always admired the Celtics, so playing for the Celtics has always been a dream.

“It’s a very great season,” Daye continued. “I don’t think anything better could have happened than to be released by Washington and come to Boston.”

Daye’s biggest moment as a Celtic occurred in the fourth game of the Eastern Conference semifinal against Milwaukee in Boston’s 138-137 double-overtime win over the Bucks.

“He made two monster plays,” said Bob Ryan of the Boston Globe, who covers the Celtics. “Not bad for a guy they picked up off the waiver wire.”

Daye made a basket, then sank two free throws as the Celtics beat the Bucks.

CBS-TV commentator Tom Heinsohn, a former Boston coach and player, said of Daye: “I think he’s been pretty effective when they need him, particularly on defense. He’s got speed and offensive punch. He’s done some good things.”

Daye, a third-round draft pick from UCLA in 1983, looked as if he might be out of the NBA before last Christmas, but Daye kept his confidence after being waived twice.

“I didn’t think my career was over after I got cut,” he said. “I knew that I was young and could still play. As long as you have your confidence, you should be able to play with someone.

“I didn’t really know what my situation was in Washington. I wanted to be traded before the season, and they didn’t want to trade me for some reason. Maybe they didn’t feel they could get what they wanted.

“So they kept me and (then) they released me, which doesn’t make too much sense to me. I knew they didn’t want me because they got Jay Vincent (from Dallas) in the summer and they didn’t want me to start.”

Daye was picked up by the Bulls, but he played just one game in five weeks in Chicago.

“I came home after I was cut (by Chicago) and I relaxed and didn’t do too much of anything,” Daye said. “I thought there was a good chance the Celtics were interested because when I got released by Washington, they contacted my agent.”

Boston signed Daye to replace Scott Wedman, who was sidelined for the season with a heel injury.

“He’s helped us in key situations,” Boston Coach K.C. Jones said of Daye. “He can go in and play defense and he can make a play on the offensive end. He’s been very important. His role is coming in at crunch time and helping out. He did a good job for us against Milwaukee and Detroit. He’s very important to our scheme of things.”

Daye has shot 57% from the floor since the All-Star break.

“He’s played very well,” Laker assistant coach Bill Bertka said. “He gave them quality minutes in the series against Milwaukee and Detroit.”

He shot 61.5% from the floor against Detroit in the Eastern Conference finals, averaging 8.6 points, 17.9 minutes and 2.1 rebounds in the series.

“I feel more comfortable,” Daye said. “I know what my role is now. It was really tough playing in the beginning of the season. Switching to a new team is a very difficult thing to do.

“But the Celtics accepted me right away and gave me playing time immediately. I’ve pretty much accepted my role, which is coming off the bench and playing tough defense and rebounding. A lot of times, I’ll be guarding the other team’s top player.”

Daye is one of the first big men off the Celtic bench, which has been used more often because of the Boston injuries.

Said Laker Coach Pat Riley of Daye: “As much as we’ve got to focus on their starting five, we’ve got to be very conscious of him. He’s got confidence in his offensive ability. I always thought of him as a player who hadn’t homed in yet.”

Said Laker forward James Worthy: “Obviously, he is playing some of the best basketball of his life. He’s not the type of player who’s going to crack down. He’s going to give you heads up basketball.”

Magic Johnson said: “I think the bench will win this series. Both benches will be a key. And Darren fits right in. He played some good games in the playoffs on the road.”

Daye will be a free agent at the end of the series, but he’d like to remain with the Celtics.

“Hopefully, I’ve impressed them enough to where they want to re-sign me,” he said. “There’s no question that I want to be back.”

Who says you can’t go home again?

Not Darren Daye.

Daye grew up in Mission Hills in the San Fernando Valley and starred at Kennedy High in Granada Hills.

He played at Kennedy from 1976-79 and was voted the City 4-A Player of the Year as a senior.

Daye also played on a summer team with Laker guard Byron Scott.

“It was a great homecoming playing in the Forum in a championship game,” Daye said of his return to Los Angeles. “You can’t beat that.”

Daye lives in Brookline, Mass., a Boston suburb, but said he plans to return to Southern California this summer. He owns a town house in Laguna Hills.

“Boston is OK,” Daye said. “I like playing for the team more than I like the city. There’s no place like L.A. as far as I’m concerned.”

Daye plans to marry Tami Bredeweg, an artist, on Aug. 2. They met at UCLA.