Ellis Has Garden Party in First Start : Clippers: Rookie’s 29 points help L.A. end a seven-game losing streak with a 102-95 victory over the sagging Celtics.

Clipper rookie Harold Ellis was wide eyed as he walked onto the parquet floor at the Boston Garden on Friday night.

“I’ve seen this place on TV all my life, but I’ve never been here,” Ellis said as he stared at the 16 championship banners hanging from the rafters. “To make your first start at the Boston Garden, that’s hard.”

Clipper Coach Bob Weiss started Ellis, a 6-foot-5 swingman, in place of forward Loy Vaught to energize the Clippers, who had lost 11 of 13 games.

“I found out in the meeting this morning and I was shocked,” Ellis said of the start. “I was so nervous that I didn’t eat all day.”

Ellis played as though he deserved to be a starter, scoring 29 points as the Clippers ended a seven-game losing streak and handed the Celtics a club-record seventh consecutive home loss, 102-95, before a sellout crowd of 14,890.

“It’s a dream come true,” Ellis said of his performance.

This season has been a bad dream for the Celtics.

Off to their worst start since 1978-79, when they finished 29-53, the Celtics (13-23) have lost seven home games in a row for the first time in club history.

“Of course this is embarrassing,” said Celtic center Robert Parish, who became the 12th player in NBA history to score 22,000 points by getting 21 against the Clippers. “Nobody likes to lose, especially at home, so it’s not a good feeling.

“We’re one of the worst teams in the league right now, and what’s really embarrassing about it is that we’re a better team than we’ve demonstrated.

“I’d rather have won the game than scored 22,000 points. That would have meant more than the individual accolade.”

Ellis, who scored 14 first-quarter points, impressed Parish. Although he is only a rookie, Ellis didn’t back down against Parish, a 17-year veteran. Ellis dunked over Parish in the third quarter.

“He’s fearless,” Parish said of Ellis. “I like that. He plays with a lot of aggressiveness, and he has a big heart.”

While several Clippers would probably rather be playing elsewhere because of contract disputes, Ellis seems truly happy to be playing for the Clippers. The last player the Clippers waived before the season opened, he played in the Continental Basketball Assn. before being signed last Friday.

Ellis, who has averaged 26 points in his last two games, led the Clippers (12-21) by making 11 of 14 shots and all seven of his free throws. Ellis had a team-high five steals, four rebounds and a blocked shot.

‘He’s only got one speed, which is fifth gear,” Weiss said. “I never dreamed he’d get this many points, but that’s what I wanted.”

Guard Mark Jackson agreed.

“You’ve got to have one or two guys on every team who are just starving and who’ll do anything for you, and Harold is that guy,” Jackson said.

Fearing that Ellis might make rookie mistakes late in the game, Weiss replaced him with Gary Grant at the start of the fourth quarter.

But with the Clippers trailing by 88-87 with 3:20 remaining, Weiss put in Ellis, who helped trigger an 11-2 spurt by scoring four points on a dunk and two free throws.

“My gut just said go with Harold,” Weiss said.

Ellis impressed teammate Danny Manning, who scored a game-high 34 points, including 21 in the second half. Manning, who had eight points in the final quarter, scored six of the Clippers’ final 12 points and had a steal to set up Ellis’ dunk.

“Harold brings us a lot of energy,” Manning said. “He brings us a lot of easy baskets, which is what we need.”

Ellis planned to celebrate by calling his mother, Mary, who watched the game on TV at her home in Atlanta.

“She’ll tell me the stuff I did wrong,” Ellis said.

That part of their conversation will be brief.