Through a haze of his own cigar smoke, Paul Pierce peered through sleepless eyes at the sea of green-clad fans and thrust his golden MVP trophy skyward.

His day had finally arrived. A day to ride in his own championship parade. A day that gave normal people a chance to wave signs, paint their faces in Celtics colors and scream their hearts out for the latest team to bring a title to town.

"We're tired of watching these parades on TV. Now we get to enjoy our own," Pierce said after a fantastic season that followed nine frustrating ones in his Boston career. "I haven't had any sleep yet, so now I'm still enjoying it."

The Celtics earned yesterday's "rolling rally" celebration with an amazing comeback season topped off by a stunningly dominant 131-92 win over the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday night in Game 6 of the NBA finals. Pierce was the series MVP.

It was the Celtics' first title without Red Auerbach, the team patriarch who died in October 2006 after being part of the other 16 championships, nine as coach. The cigars smoked by players and fans were a tribute to Auerbach's custom of lighting one up on the bench in the waning moments of still another win.

"We wish he could be here," Pierce said before he lit his cigar on his duck boat, "so I'm doing this to honor him."

Players rode in the amphibious tourist vehicles like those used by soldiers in World War II. They also transported the New England Patriots after their Super Bowl championships in February of 2002, 2004 and 2005, and the Boston Red Sox after their World Series victories in October 2004 and 2007.

Now it was time for Pierce, Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen and their teammates to travel a nearly two-mile route from TD Banknorth Garden, the arena where the title was won in the team's 108th game — 82 of them wins — to Copley Plaza near the finish line of the Boston Marathon.

"We've seen plenty of people go through their championship parades," Allen said, "and never did I think I would be a part of one. It's great to definitely do it here in Boston."

Police reported 21 arrests, mostly for disorderly conduct and disturbing the peace.

ELSEWHERE

Barkley hitting tables: Charles Barkley is headed back to the tables in Las Vegas to play in a poker tournament about a month after pledging not to gamble. He says it's all for charity. The former NBA star is scheduled to play in a celebrity poker tournament at the 2008 World Series of Poker on July 2. The "Ante Up for Africa" event is designed to raise money and awareness for the crisis in the Darfur region of Sudan. Barkley, 45, said he wasn't going to gamble for "the next year or two" after he was sued by a Las Vegas Strip casino in May for failing to pay $400,000 in gambling markers, or loans.

Finals ratings: The NBA finals games were the six highest-rated and most-watched programs so far in June, the first time that has happened in seven years. Boston's victory over the Los Angeles Lakers averaged a 9.3 rating for the series, up 50 percent over the 6.2 for San Antonio's sweep of Cleveland last year. The Celtics' Game 6 clincher Tuesday earned a 10.7 rating on ABC, averaging 16.9 million viewers over the course of the game.