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BOSTON -- Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett were criss-crossing the parquet on their way back from halftime Wednesday night at TD Garden as members of the 1961-1962 Celtics were being introduced at midcourt to celebrate the 50th anniversary of their title squad.

Wearing wide smiles, Pierce and Garnett stopped in their tracks to applaud the group. Bill Russell called Pierce over to share a laugh, while Garnett busted out the Wayne's World "we're not worthy!" bow in the presence of the 11-time world champion. As the ceremony was ending, Pierce leaned in and told Garnett to keep April of 2058 clear on his calendar.

"Me and Ticket were talking about it -- that's going to be us down the road," Pierce said with a chuckle. "Coming back when we get older."

Insert your own "you're already old!" joke here (at the risk of drawing Garnett's ire). After Wednesday's win over the Orlando Magic, Garnett spoke with great fondness for the players that established the winning tradition in Boston.

"It's always good to see the foundation come back and see why you do this, see how this thing was built," said Garnett. "I’ve always said those guys were the building blocks for this organization, if not this great franchise. I’ve always had a special place in my heart for guys who come before me and before us; without those guys we’d have no idea on what kind of road map or what you want to be. They set the standard in which we play for and I’m glad to be a part of it."

BOSTON -- A glance at ESPN Boston headlines after the Boston Celtics defeated the Orlando Magic Wednesday night at TD Garden, including how Boston survived the schedule crunch and Paul Pierce keeps giving the game what it needs:

BOSTON -- A handful of postgame news and notes after the Boston Celtics defeated the Orlando Magic 102-98 Wednesday night at TD Garden:

No champagne, but C's savor division title

Leave it to captain Paul Pierce to sum up the Celtics' mindset after clinching the Atlantic Division title with Wednesday's win.

“I’m not about to go pop some champagne bottles or anything like that," said Pierce. "I know they do that in baseball. I mean, it is a good accomplishment. The guys should recognize where we came from to what we are today. It’s a good accomplishment, I guess. But all we care about around here is a championship banner. I guess it’s just a step forward in the journey that we are trying to go towards.”

The Celtics own a 3½-game lead over the Knicks with a week left in the regular season. New York can still finish with a matching record, but Boston owns the necessary tie-breaker even if that occurs. There were no celebratory hats, T-shirts, or Auerbach-approved cigars in the Celtics' locker room after Wednesday's win, but coach Doc Rivers did tell his team to take a minute to savor exactly what it accomplished.

"I don’t know if I’ve ever congratulated the team for winning [a division title]," Rivers said after securing a fifth consecutive division crown. "But I did tell them, I said, ‘Guys, I know it’s not a big deal to us -- and it isn’t because we’re not in this to win divisions -- but we were two games under .500 at the All-Star break and the fact that you did it, and did it this early, I think is very impressive.’ And it was."

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BOSTON -- Rapid reaction after the Boston Celtics defeated the Orlando Magic 102-98 Wednesday night at TD Garden:

HOW THE GAME WAS WON
Captain Paul Pierce played both distributor and scorer by producing game-highs with 29 points and 14 assists over 35 minutes, while Avery Bradley (23 points) and Brandon Bass (21 points) helped spark the Boston offense. Old friend Glen Davis scored a team-high 27 points for the Magic, who also got 21 points, 9 assists and 4 rebounds from Jameer Nelson. Boston shot 54.3 percent from the floor overall (38-of-70) and, despite nearly letting the game get away in the fourth quarter, clinched the Atlantic Division title with the win. (The Celtics own the key tiebreakers over the New York Knicks.)

GIVING THE GAME WHAT IT NEEDS
Pierce handed out a career-high 14 assists, one night after dropping 43 points in a loss to the Knicks to become the first Celtics player to score 40-plus points during a regular-season game in the Big Three era. With Rajon Rondo getting a night off after falling hard on his back in New York, Pierce morphed into the role of point forward. He handed out eight first-quarter assists and had 11 helpers at the intermission -- all of which surely left him wondering what all the fuss is about with Rondo's 23-game streak with double-digit assists.

PIERCE HITS THE CLINCHER
When he wasn't dishing the ball around, Pierce hit a bunch of big shots. None was bigger than his step-back jumper over Davis with 7.6 seconds to go. The Magic had rallied from a double-digit hole to make it a two-point game in the final moments, but Pierce came off a high pick-and-roll with Garnett and rattled home the jumper to essentially seal it.

TURNING POINT
The Celtics were down a point with under three minutes to go in the third quarter, but scored 14 of the game's next 15 points, spanning into the fourth frame. Frustration boiled over for the Magic when Paul Pierce drove into Ryan Anderson before kicking it out to Brandon Bass for a 19-foot jumper. Anderson vented and earned a technical foul in the process, and Pierce made the freebie for a 79-70 lead after three quarters. The lead ballooned to 12 early in the fourth, only for Orlando to make the late charge that Boston fended off.

BOLD PLAY OF THE GAME
As part of that game-clinching third-quarter run, Greg Stiemsma put his shot-blocking talents on display -- with Bill Russell and the 1962 championship team watching, no less. First Earl Clark tried to go up near the rim, only to have Stiemsma snuff it out while barely leaving his feet. Pierce took the rebound the opposite way and produced an old-fashioned three-point play. Anderson tried for a driving layup on the Magic's next trip down only to be denied by Stiemsma's fourth block of the night.

BIG BABY'S BIG NIGHT
After sitting out the Magic's last game against Philadelphia with a right knee ailment, Davis wasn't about to miss this Boston homecoming -- especially with a chance to shine without Dwight Howard on the floor. Big Baby scored Orlando's first six points and spearheaded the offense all night, making 12 of 16 shots for his 27 points. He added 7 rebounds and 3 assists over 35:14.

WHAT IT MEANS
Despite playing without Rondo, Ray Allen and Mickael Pietrus, the Celtics won the battle of short-handed teams (the Magic were without Howard and Hedo Turkoglu). It wasn't a particularly pretty fourth quarter, but the Celtics won yet another grind-it-out style game. The Celtics now have the division crown and the No. 4 seed in their pocket with three games to play. With Atlanta's triumph over Detroit, the Hawks are still a half-game up on Boston in the race for the better overall record and potential home-court advantage in a first-round matchup. Orlando slips a full game back of the Hawks while jockeying for the No. 5 seed, though the consolation prize isn't bad as many pundits see the third-seeded Pacers as potentially a less daunting opponent than playoff-experienced Boston. The Celtics get a day to rest before traveling to Atlanta for a potential first-round preview.

BOSTON -- Boston Celtics guards Rajon Rondo (back), Mickael Pietrus (knee), and Ray Allen (ankle) all missed Wednesday's visit from the Orlando Magic and coach Doc Rivers said all three might be out for Friday's trip to Atlanta as well.

Sasha Pavlovic took Rondo's spot in the starting lineup with Avery Bradley shuffling to the point guard spot. The absence of Pietrus and Allen left the Boston bench short-handed again, one night after being outscored 55-2 in a loss to the Knicks.

Even though the Magic were without Dwight Howard (back) and Hedo Turkoglu (head), this wasn't a situation where Boston tried to take advantage of a short-handed opponent by resting players. Rivers admitted that neither Rondo, Pietrus nor Allen likely would have played even if this was a playoff game.

"I don’t know the answer to that, but I would say, 'No,' tonight," said Rivers. "I would say all three could not have played tonight."

Rondo landed hard on his back chasing a rebound on Tuesday in New York. Rivers said he experienced spasms after the game -- something the team expected -- and will likely be held out in Atlanta to allow him a full week to heal up before a visit from Miami next Tuesday.

Allen has now missed five straight games -- and 12 of the past 17 -- due to lingering soreness in his right ankle. Rivers admitted that's a growing concern, but hasn't thought far enough ahead to worry about Allen not being ready for the playoffs.

"There's just concern that the ankle is not responding," admitted Rivers. "We need him."

Pietrus experienced swelling in his right knee after participating in all three games of a back-to-back-to-back this past weekend. After missing 10 games after sustaining a concussion last month, Rivers wishes he had eased Pietrus back in.

"He went from not only not playing, but not working out, to playing right away," said Rivers. "Then you do the three games in a row, and the knee swelled up. We didn’t anticipate that, but, obviously, if we could have a do-over, we would have sat him in one of those three games as well."

Boston's next two games are against its two most likely playoff opponents, and it starts Wednesday night when the Orlando Magic (36-25, 16-13 away) visit the Celtics (36-26, 21-9 home) at TD Garden (8 p.m. ET, ESPN). Due to injuries (Dwight Howard and Hedo Turkoglu are out) and rest for the approaching postseason, this game has potential to be light on star power. To preview the matchup, we play a game of 2-on-2 with colleague Greg Payne.

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1. What's the best strategy for Boston from here on out? When does Doc Rivers go full rest mode with his team?

Payne: I think that over the next two games, Rivers can afford to be a little more specific with whom he shuts down. For example, given his nasty fall against the Knicks on Tuesday night, Rajon Rondo might need a night off, but Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett are probably good to go. I don't think we'll see any of Boston's major players during the final two games of the season, but I do think it's important to try to get Ray Allen back as soon as possible, first so he can develop his shooting rhythm again, and second so Rivers' ideal rotation -- which obviously includes Allen, even in a bench role -- can have a game or two of action before the playoffs start. I think four games is a bit too long to rest guys, when you consider things like rhythm and what not, but assuming nothing too drastic changes in the standings over the next few days, we probably won't see many key guys for the final two games.

Forsberg: The Celtics really need only one more win to wrap up the Atlantic Division (and if the Knicks falter with four of their final five games on the road, the Green might not need even that many), so it seems somewhat haphazard to trot out a dinged-up A-team on the second night of a back-to-back. If I'm Rivers, I think about keeping out Rondo after his hard fall in New York and maybe Pierce, too, given his recent thigh and toe issues. Maybe even go low minutes with Garnett -- the Magic don't have much depth at center, anyhow, at the moment -- and hope some of the younger legs such as Avery Bradley and Brandon Bass can carry you. From there, the Celtics will have plenty of rest between their next two matchups and can take it game by game to determine how hard to push their veterans (it would seem you'd want to get them some work to keep up their rhythm over these final eight games, then maybe shut them down for the season finale to allow extended rest before the playoffs start the final weekend of the month).

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Coming off the Knicks' 3-point blitz Tuesday night at Madison Square Garden (19 of 32 beyond the arc), things don't get much easier when the Magic come to town Wednesday. According to ESPN Stats and Info, Orlando has shot more 3-pointers than any other team this season, leading the NBA with 26.8 attempts per game. What's more, 34.4 percent of their total field goal attempts have been triples, by far the highest percentage in the league:

Highest percentage of FGA from 3-point range
Magic - 34.4
Knicks - 28.3
Nets - 28.2
Mavericks - 27.3

More from Stats and Info: The Magic have lived behind the arc this season with 32.4 percent of the Magic’s total points this season coming from 3-pointers, by far the highest percentage in the NBA:

Highest percentage of points from 3-point range
Magic - 32.4
Warriors - 25.1
Nets - 25.0

The Celtics can hang their hat on the fact that, entering Tuesday's game against the Knicks, they ranked No. 1 in the NBA with opponents shooting a mere 29.7 percent beyond the arc.

A handful of observations after the Boston Celtics rallied from a 27-point, second-quarter deficit to stun the Orlando Magic 91-83 Thursday night at the Amway Center:

CAPTAIN COMEBACK

His bruised heel seemingly healed now, Celtics captain Paul Pierce is simply leaving opponents on their heels. Pierce keyed Boston's second-half comeback Thursday night, connecting on 7 of 13 shots for 19 points with 7 assists, 5 rebounds, and a blocked shot after the intermission. Put another way, Pierce had one fewer second-half bucket than the entire Orlando Magic team (on 22 fewer attempts). Pierce had nine third-quarter points, chipping away at Orlando's 21-point halftime cushion and setting up the improbable final frame. Overall, he contributed a game-high 24 points, overcoming an 0-for-5 start in which he posted a mere five first-half points, with 10 assists over 44:24. Pierce, who played all but 23 seconds in the second half, was seemingly so gassed at the end of the game that he missed a trio of fourth-quarter free throws while trying to seal the win. It didn't matter, he had done enough in generating points for both himself and his teammates to prevent Orlando from rallying back late in the game.

LEAVES YOU WANTING MOORE

After watching E'Twaun Moore miss all four shots he put up in a loss to Oklahoma City a couple of weeks back, Celtics coach Doc Rivers opined after the game, "I just wanted one of those freakin' shots to go in for him." Yes, Moore was shooting just 23.7 percent (9-of-38) entering Thursday's game in Orlando and it seemed like all he needed was a couple of shots to fall to give him a little confidence boost. Well, Moore didn't get one of those freakin' shots to fall Thursday, he got freakin' five of them, including all four 3-pointers he put up and a key fourth-quarter driving layup to aid Pierce in spearheading the offensive portion of the comeback (and Moore was no slouch on defense, either). Even as a late second-round draft pick (55th overall), you could see Moore's potential after watching him hit big shots in training camp and preseason games. Now he's putting it together in the regular season, and that bodes well for more floor time moving forward. Moore didn't have an assist Thursday (the offense was running through Pierce), but he didn't have a turnover either, which is another encouraging sign he values the ball, even as a primary ball handler at the backup point guard spot.

ARE THE CELTICS IN THE MAGIC'S HEAD?

Outside of the Kevin Garnett-less 2009 playoffs, the Orlando Magic simply haven't had much success against the Celtics in recent years. The old way of thinking suggested that the Celtics had an ability to match up Kendrick Perkins on Dwight Howard one-on-one, allowing Boston to smother the outside shooters and neutralize the Magic's typical plan of attack (where opponents often had to double Howard, freeing the perimeter players). Well, the Celtics didn't even have Jermaine O'Neal on Thursday night and still limited Howard to a manageable 16 points and 16 rebounds. Go figure, the Magic built their 21-point halftime cushion with Howard chipping in a mere four points over 6:43 in a foul-plagued first half. Howard scored 14 of his team's 25 second-half points (nine of which came at the charity stripe) and played all 24 second-half minutes, but could only watch as Boston rallied. You can't help but think that, at the moment, the Celtics would be perfectly fine crossing paths with the Magic in the postseason if this sort of dominance keeps up.

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Rapid reaction after the Boston Celtics defeated the Orlando Magic 91-83 Thursday night at the Amway Center.

HOW THE GAME WAS WON
The Celtics trailed by as much as 27 in the second quarter (52-25, 3:11 to play), but outscored the Magic by 35 points over the final 27 minutes, overcoming the largest deficit in 16 seasons to sweep a home-and-home against Orlando. The Celtics trailed by 16 after one quarter (32-16) and 21 at the intermission (58-37). Unfazed, Boston trimmed 10 points off its deficit in the third quarter and kept its foot on the comeback accelerator in the fourth frame, opening the quarter on a 15-1 run to pull ahead, 79-76, on an E'Twaun Moore 3-pointer with 7:39 to play. Paul Pierce scored a team-high 24 points with 10 assists and 6 rebounds, while Kevin Garnett chipped in a double-double (12 points, 10 rebounds). Boston's defense limited the Magic to eight (eight!?) fourth-quarter points and just 25 points overall in the second half.

TURNING POINT
The Celtics seemingly expended so much energy rallying back, you couldn't help but wonder if they'd have anything left in the tank down the stretch. After pulling ahead, Boston actually went the next 2:49 without a bucket -- missing four shots and turning the ball over once -- but the Magic couldn't take advantage -- missing three shots and a pair of free throws (their only bucket coming on a Dwight Howard putback). Moore ended the lull with a driving layup and Bass added a 20-foot jumper soon after to push Boston's lead to five with 4:05 to go. Orlando further unraveled from there (two technicals) and never got closer than four the rest of the way.

GIMME MOORE
Moore was 2-of-14 on 3-pointers entering Thursday's game. All he did was hit all four of the triples he put up, adding a key driving layup in the fourth quarter, while chipping in a career-high 16 points over 18 inspiring minutes. He finished a ridiculous plus-27 and really spearheaded the comeback effort with inspired play while running the offense. The Celtics don't win this game without the rookie second-round pick.

DOOLING DEPARTS
Back in the lineup after missing the last seven games, Keyon Dooling suffered a right hip-pointer during the second quarter and sat out the rest of the game. The Celtics were already playing without three starters in Jermaine O'Neal, Rajon Rondo, and Ray Allen. Read more HERE.

WHAT IT MEANS
It's hard to put this one into words. An atrocious first half wiped out pretty much all the goodwill that Boston had generated with its defensive dominance in Monday's win over the Magic. But just when you were wondering if we'd see the rookies doing second-half mop-up duty, it was rookie Moore keying the comeback. The Celtics cranked up the defensive intensity and proved, yet again, to be kryptonite to Dwight Howard and the Magic. Boston now returns home for the second night of a back-to-back against an Indiana team that's given it fits this season. It will be interesting to see what Boston can do with the momentum of what's now a three-game winning streak, especially if it can get a couple starters back from injury.

Each Thursday, we join forces with our friends and TrueHoop partners at CelticsHub to go 5-on-5 about key issues surrounding the Celtics. Given that today is also a gameday with Boston visiting Orlando this evening at the Amway Center, we've geared the questions to also preview the matchup. So let's go 5-on-5 with ESPN Boston's Greg Payne and the CelticsHub gang of Hayes Davenport, Ryan DeGama, and Brendan Jackson.

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Did the Orlando win change your mind about this Celtics team?

Forsberg: No, not yet. It’s an encouraging win, especially on the second night of a back-to-back and playing without a third of the roster. But let’s see that sort of defensive intensity (and results) on a consistent basis before we declare this ship righted. Just like no one should get too low after some of these early season losses, let’s not put too much stock in one quality win.

Davenport: Not really. I thought they were a back-of-the Conference playoff team, and I still do. The win was amazing: I don’t think I’ve ever seen a group of players perform that far beyond expectations. But wins like that will come out of nowhere, and don’t necessarily prove anything about a team’s title hopes. The Wizards beat the Thunder a week before, but I’m not sure that should make them buyers at the trade deadline.

DeGama: The C’s have been such a wimpy bunch of Bruce Banners this year that I didn’t think they had any Incredible Hulk left in them. Turns out they can get angry. And who expected Sasha and Avery to do all that SMASHING? One win doesn’t alleviate the rebounding and offensive problems, but maybe Boston can rally around the beating they laid on Orlando Monday night. That’s what I’m hoping for: the feel good story of a team that remembers how to bully others.

Payne: No, but that was because I was never all that down on the team in the first place. Sure, the losses were disappointing and there might have been some reason to panic at times, but I was figuring it would only be a matter of time before the club got its act together. Could the C’s still get blown out on Thursday? Definitely. But regardless of Thursday’s outcome, Monday’s win over the Magic counts as progress.

Jackson: Not really. The win against Orlando was great, but there needs to be some sustainability in order for me to completely change my mind. Can this team continue to beat good teams? Furthermore, beating Orlando did not miraculously make this team healthy, which has been the biggest detriment to their success this season.

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BOSTON -- A collection of postgame news and notes after the Boston Celtics defeated the Orlando Magic 87-56 Monday night at TD Garden:

Quick links: Big Baby's Return to Boston | Von Wafer too | Loose Balls

THE SKINNY ON BIG BABY'S TRIBUTE VIDEO

The Celtics toasted the contributions of old friend Glen Davis with a short-but-sweet video tribute during the first timeout in Monday's game.

So what did Davis think of the montage of some of his finest moments in green?

“I looked really big, like really fat," Davis said. "I was like, 'Wow, chubby.' I look a little more leaner now. But it was good. It’s always good to see things like that -- memories I can never forget. The fans showed love and I appreciate that.”

Davis' stat line might have been a little leaner than usual too, at least on the offensive end, where he chipped in 6 points on 2-of-9 shooting with 11 rebounds and 4 turnovers over 23:41 off the bench. After spending four years in Boston, Davis knew how dangerous the Celtics were despite their less-than-stellar record entering the game.

“You’ve got a team out there that’s capable of winning games and we didn’t play to the level that we needed to play," he said. "They played harder than us. Every possession they played harder than us, and we lost. That’s what happens.”

The loss spoiled the homecoming for Davis, who was flipped to Orlando with Von Wafer in a sign-and-trade deal that brought back Brandon Bass. All Bass did Monday was chip in 19 points on 8-of-14 shooting with eight rebounds over 34:01 off the bench.

Informed before the game that Magic players thought he looked skinnier, Bass found it amusing.

"Probably because I've got this European shirt," he joked. "I've got the 1X [extra large] on, and they probably just haven't seen me in a long time. When you see someone every day, you can really tell that they've gotten bigger or smaller. If you haven't seen them for a while, you can't tell. I have gotten slimmer, but last year in Orlando I was like this size."

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BOSTON -- Rapid reaction after the Boston Celtics defeated the Orlando Magic 87-56 Monday night at TD Garden:

HOW THE GAME WAS WON
Competing without five players, including their starting backcourt of Rajon Rondo and Ray Allen, the Celtics put together their finest defensive effort of the season, completely neutralizing Dwight Howard and the Magic. Orlando shot a mere 24.6 percent (16-of-65). Paul Pierce filled up his stat line again, chipping in 19 points, 7 assists and 5 rebounds over 33 minutes, while Kevin Garnett added 14 points and 10 rebounds. Former Magic big man Brandon Bass added 19 points and 8 rebounds off the bench for Boston, while Avery Bradley's defensive intensity was a game-changer, more than holding his own in place of Rondo. Howard finished with 18 points and 14 rebounds, but was minus-20 in plus/minus, and scored only four second-half points while missing all six shots he took.

TURNING POINT
The Celtics were only ahead by a point with three minutes to play in the second quarter, but dominated the next 12 minutes of action. Boston closed out the half on a 12-3 run with Jameer Nelson's buzzer-beating jumper the only bucket for Orlando in that stretch. Garnett and Pierce provided Boston's offensive punch to push the lead to double digits at intermission. The Magic would muster a mere 10 third-quarter points as Boston maintained the defensive intensity, its lead ballooning to 23 entering the final frame.

D-FENCE! D-FENCE!
The Magic made only five second-half buckets, shooting a mere 18.5 percent after the intermission. The Celtics never took their foot off the defensive gas and smothered Orlando until the final whistle. What's more, Boston helped force 25 Orlando turnovers (which they cashed in for 24 points).

TEMPERS FLARE
Maybe indicative of Boston's defensive intensity, Jermaine O'Neal got into a little dust-up with Howard, jamming his finger in the Orlando center's face in the third quarter after getting whistled for a foul. O'Neal appeared upset at some elbows that landed near his mug throughout the game and fired back at Howard (and it only further sparked Boston's intensity).

GINO TIME
Nothing puts a bigger smile on Garnett's face than seeing Boston's favorite American Bandstand dancer grooving on the JumboTron. Gino dropped in with the Celtics on top 83-51 with 2:13 to play.

VIDEO TRIBUTE
The Celtics honored Glen Davis during Monday's game. He finished with 6 points and 11 rebounds over 23:41 off the bench.

WHAT IT MEANS
The injury-depleted Celtics get a big win over a legit foe -- their first of the season after feasting on Eastern Conference doormats like the Wizards (three times), Pistons, Raptors, and Nets. This is the most confidence-inspiring victory of the season and it will be interesting to see if Boston can build off of it, particularly as it gets players back from injury (Rondo, Keyon Dooling, and Mickael Pietrus could all be back by Thursday's visit to Orlando, capping this home-and-home between the two teams).

BOSTON -- Asked for a medical update before Monday's game against the Orlando Magic, Boston Celtics coach Doc Rivers sighed. A voice from the back of the reporter pile cracked, "This could take a while."

Said Rivers: "It will, actually. So there’s no [Rajon] Rondo, no [Chris] Wilcox, no Keyon [Dooling], no Ray [Allen], no [Mickael] Pietrus."

Allow us to break it down:

* Rondo will miss his third straight game due to a sprained right wrist sustained in a fall Wednesday night against the Toronto Raptors. He lobbied to play, but team doctors erred on the side of caution. Rivers suggested he should be back Thursday in Orlando for the back end of this home-and-home.

* Allen suffered a jammed left ankle in Sunday's win in Washington and, while Rivers said MRIs were negative on the injury, he's not ready to play. Rivers didn't offer a timetable on his potential return, but didn't offer his name when asked who was closest to being back.

* Pietrus suffered a shoulder injury in Sunday's win in Washington that didn't flare up until after the game. Rivers said he's unable to lift his arm above his ear, so, Rivers cracked, "That would have been tough to get a shot off, and I know he would try." Pietrus will get an MRI to determine the severity of the injury.

* Dooling will miss his seventh straight game with a right knee ailment, but Rivers suggested he might be back on the court for Thursday's game in Orlando.

* Wilcox will miss his sixth game in a row -- and ninth over the season -- as he recovers from a left calf injury. Rivers didn't offer a timetable on his return.

The Celtics will operate with a starting lineup that features a backcourt of Avery Bradley and Sasha Pavlovic playing alongside Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, and Jermaine O'Neal.

Asked about how the Celtics function without a third of their roster, River said, "We play the other guys. That’s what you do, really."

Big Baby's back in town as the Boston Celtics (6-9, 4-5 home) host Glen Davis and the Orlando Magic (11-4, 5-2 away) at the TD Garden (7:30 p.m., CSN). We go 3-on-3 with ESPN Boston's Greg Payne and CelticsHub's Brian Robb to preview the matchup:

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1. 1. Do the Boston Celtics miss Glen Davis?

Payne: Yes and no. I know that's a cop-out, but clearly Brandon Bass has excelled since joining the C's and he's masked the hole that Davis otherwise would have left. I think the Celtics do miss him somewhat on the defensive end though. He took charges and his low center of gravity made him an asset against the Dwight Howards of the world. Still, Bass' production has left a lot of fans thinking, 'Big Baby who?'

Robb: They certainly miss the Glen Davis of November to February from last season. That guy was a legitimate sixth-man contender, and an asset on both ends of the floor to the point that any team would have loved to have him coming off the bench. The guy that showed up over the rest of the year and the playoffs? Good riddance. The reassuring thing for C's fans is that Big Baby's play in Orlando this year has resembled more of the latter period than the former, and his replacement in Bass has outplayed him considerably over the first four weeks. The fact of the matter is, behind the scenes, Baby's act had seemingly become a bit tiring for those in the locker room, and a change of scenery was probably the best remedy for everyone involved.

Forsberg: Yes, they miss him, but Bass is making it extremely hard to remember why. So the book on Bass when he arrived was that he was an upgrade offensively, but was a step backwards on defense. That's been somewhat true, though Bass has been both far better as both a rebounder and a man-on-man defender than we originally imagined. He's still learning the team's help defense philosophies and has been late on rotations, but his consistent offensive contributions afford him more patience on the defensive side (where his one-on-one numbers remain spectacular). The Celtics do miss Baby's charge-taking, but Jermaine O'Neal seems inspired to pick up the slack there. The one thing Boston will need time to replace is Baby's chemistry with the Big Four, something that allowed him to log big minutes with that group, including in crunch time.

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BOSTON -- Everything you need to know after the Boston Celtics defeated the Orlando Magic 91-80 Sunday afternoon at the TD Garden:


Rapid Reaction | Game Recap | Box Score

--FORSBERG: RONDO RETURNS TO ATTACKING WAYS--

Rajon Rondo is likely to wake up Monday morning in Charlotte feeling like he played in Super Bowl XLV. In attacking the basket with renewed vigor during a Super Sunday appetizer against the Orlando Magic, Rondo spent much of his night bouncing off the unforgiving parquet floor, Dwight Howard serving as the oft-unblocked linebacker to Rondo's stand-in-the-pocket quarterback. Rondo's reward for those bumps and bruises? A season-high 26 points that sparked the Boston Celtics to a 91-80 triumph at the TD Garden in the third and final regular-season battle of last season's Eastern Conference finalists.

--MAY: CELTICS GET UNDER THE MAGIC'S SKIN--

Quentin Richardson got a lot of feedback last spring, most of it positive, he said, when he called out Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce for being good "actresses" during the Boston Celtics' first-round series with the Miami Heat during last season's playoffs. Richardson has moved upstate to Orlando, but while he has changed addresses, he hasn't changed his view on the two Celtics. On Sunday, after the Magic fell 91-80 in a game that qualified as eye pollution most of the time, Richardson revisited his comments from last spring. Well, sort of. "I'm not going there again," he said,

--PAYNE: C'S RALLY AROUND INJURED DANIELS--

For a team as close-knit as the Celtics, an injury to any player on the roster is enough to weigh heavily on the minds of teammates and take their focus away from the game at hand. But when Marquis Daniels suffered a bruised spinal cord during the second quarter of Sunday's 91-80 triumph over the Orlando Magic at the TD Garden, players rallied around each other and soldiered on.

More links from ESPNBoston.com's coverage:
* Postgame notes: 'Dwight couldn't beat us by himself'
* Pregame notes: Shaq out through All-Star break?
* Daniels suffers bruised spinal cord; out indefinitely
* Snapshot: Bradley recalled to Boston after Daniels' injury

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