--Stephon Marbury knows his role, but he's been hinting rather directly that he needs more playing time to be effective.
"It's a big difference when you're on the court longer," he said. "But I understand my role and I understand what's needed of me. When I get the opportunity I've got to seize the moment. "Mentally, adjusting to coming off the bench is difficult, but I've got to understand that when I come in the game it's like starting out the game for me, which it is."
--The Hawks have tried to play up their meetings with the Celtics. After taking the eventual champions to seven games in the first round of last year's playoffs, the Atlanta people like to talk about it as a rivalry.
The Celtics aren't playing along.
"I don't think much of it really," said Rajon Rondo. "I don't like to talk trash, but in my eyes it's not a rivalry. I don't know if anybody else looks at it as a rivalry. People consider Cleveland a rival. We just went seven with Atlanta. That's about it."
QUOTE TO NOTE: "It's inspirational and it motivates you to want to get better." -- Thunder forward Jeff Green, on playing beneath the 17 Celtic championship banners.
