Heartbroken, frustrated, despondent or just plain furious, supporters of the most storied franchise in National Basketball Association (NBA) history have never had it so bad after six weeks and just one win.

"Not to be a fair-weather fan but there's only so much I can take," said Joshua Dalsimer, 38, who blames poor defense for at least some of the team's troubles. "The Celtics really have a history that has to be kept going."

Some question whether the season is simply cursed following the death of Arnold "Red" Auerbach, the cigar-smoking mastermind behind the Celtics' record eight straight NBA championships, in October at the age of 89.

Like many Boston fans, Dalsimer says that at this point the Celtics are better off losing more games and gambling for a shot at the number one pick in the strongest draft since the LeBron James-Carmelo Antony Wade-Chris Bosh class of 2003.

"I'm one of the fans that would like to see them lose so they can get a draft pick," he said.

COLLEGE FRESHMEN

The draft is no guarantee, however, even with the promise of two of the most trumpeted players in a generation -- college freshmen Greg Oden and Kevin Durant. The Celtics are already young and they failed to win Tim Duncan in 1997 despite 67 losses.

Duncan went on to help the San Antonio Spurs to win the 2005 NBA championships.

Boston ended its losing streak on Wednesday by beating the Milwaukee Bucks, rousing Boston fans off their seats in the final 30 seconds with their first home win since December 15.

Paul Pierce, who said this week he had never dreamed he would be stuck in a such a dismal season in his ninth year, looked tired but relaxed after Wednesday's 117-97 victory.

"I saw everybody talking about the longest losing streak or possibly the longest losing streak in NBA history, so it feels good to finally get past that," he told reporters.

Some fans harbour lingering doubts, though. The Celtics, who were just five losses away from the single-season NBA record of 23 in a row, are grappling with the injuries of some of their best players.

ROAD TRIP

Pierce, the team's hero, returned on February 9 after missing more than seven weeks and 24 games because of foot and elbow injuries but said it might be late February before he was back to his best form.

That means he might not be at the top of his game when Boston embarks on Tuesday on a five-game, six-day road trip against teams far more formidable than Milwaukee -- from the Lakers to the Sun, Jazz and Rockets.

Wally Szczerbiak, who scored 14 on Wednesday after missing two games with a sprained ankle, said he felt fully recovered but admitted this season had taken a toll. "It's been tough. I've never been through something like this," he said.

Still, none of the Celtics' 18 straight losses were by a margin of more than 14 points and the team boasts promising talent, from Al Jefferson to Rajon Rondo and Gerald Green -- one of the NBA's best slam dunkers.

"It's not like it's a bunch of prima donnas that are collecting a paycheck and going home. They're all giving it their all. You just feel bad for them more than anything else," said season ticket holder Pat Brown.

"To have the most storied franchise in the NBA fallen to this depth is hard," he added. "Right now it's worse than when M.L. Carr was in charge of the team in 1996-97." That year, Boston won just 15 games.

"If we end up getting a high pick and turning it around I guess it will be worth it but it is hard. You've got to wonder what Red is thinking up there," Brown said.