With a back-to-back Friday at home against Philadelphia and Saturday at Charlotte, the Celtics still managed to take a break on Thanksgiving. That gave coach Doc Rivers a moment to reflect on some of the things for which he is thankful.
"I'm thankful for our team's health, No. 1," he said. "We're relatively healthy, and that's obviously very important. You see what injuries can do to teams, and we're just happy we've been able to avoid that so far." He went on to praise the players for their ability above the shoulders.
"I'm thankful that I have a group of guys with character," Rivers said. "They put their egos aside every night, every practice, and they do the work. I'm thankful that I've got a good group of guys to coach and who want to be coached. You can have the greatest talent in the world, but if they're not willing to work together, you're not going to win like you should."
And if not for a belief in Rivers by those above the coach on the organizational chart, he may not have been here to enjoy the fruits of the Celtic labor.
"I'm thankful for Danny (Ainge) probably more than anybody, because he believed in me in times when it was very tough to, when we were struggling," said Rivers. "That took a lot on his part, and it's because of him that I was able to be here when all those tough years started to pay off."
In addition, Rivers spoke about each of his Big Three.
"I'm thankful for Paul (Pierce), because Paul hung in there with our organization, he hung in there with the city and he hung in there with me," he said. "He knew what we were all going through. You know, we had many late night conversations, and I thought his perseverance was as good as anybody. Most players in the league would have asked to be traded. Paul never did.
"I'm thankful for Kevin (Garnett) because of his energy," Rivers went on. "That's in practice and on bus rides. I'm thankful that when I'm tired and watching film on airplanes and want to go to sleep, I can't because Kevin is so loud he keeps me up. And that allows me to finish my work.
"I'm thankful to Ray (Allen) for wanting to fit in," he added. "I thought especially last year he had the toughest role of the Big Three and he never complained. He just did his job. That says a lot about him, not only as a basketball player but as a person."
Rivers also spoke about the role players and the fans.
CELTICS 102, 76ERS 78: The Celtics sent a message to a team that had hoped to challenge them this season, running away early to an easy win Friday night in Boston. The C's led by 18 at the half and stretched things out when Ray Allen went for 15 of his 23 points in the third quarter.
"We really wanted to make a mark tonight," said Kevin Garnett, who had 16 points. "Philly's one of these teams that's definitely more improved. They're one of the dangerous teams to me in the East."
The 28 points by Philly in the first two quarters constituted a Celtic opponent season-low (Detroit had 29). The 78 points were a Philadelphia season low by two.
"They showed why they were World Champions last year," said Sixers coach Maurice Cheeks. "Their defense stifled us. They took us out of every set we had. They just proved the reason why they are the number one defensive team in the league."
