``It was kind of hard for me to put a finger on it because I don't know if he was really talking about me,'' said Paul Pierce. ``He said a lot of these guys ain't really played enough years to be talking like that. I looked up and I'm in my 11th year, so I don't know how many years I need. But I don't really get caught into all that. I think it's just them talking and trying to find an edge and trying to get under our skin.

``We're going to let them do what they want to do, and we're going to just try to continue to go out and play our game and not get caught up in all the distractions of the talk . . . and just try to keep winning ballgames.''

Down in New York yesterday, Richardson said he was referring to people like Kendrick Perkins with the ``ain't been in the league long enough'' charge. Richardson's coach, Mike D'Antoni, thinks the Knicks ain't won enough to be woofing.

``To be honest with you, we shouldn't be chattering because we really haven't done anything,'' D'Antoni said. ``They earned the right to chatter. They can chatter.''

Richardson, whose team is 11-15 and has lost three straight, had to concede that point.

``I mean, as far as our wins and losses, and the things we have accomplished, (D'Antoni) is right,'' Richardson said. ``(But) as a competitive athlete, that is in your nature, that's where we come from growing up in the neighborhood and going to the park and everything. When that starts to happen, you've got pride and get mad. You're not going to sit down and let somebody say something to you. You are going to compete.

``Take nothing away from them, everything else that has been said, they are still the world champions, still a great team. Nothing can change that.''

According to Pierce, staying a great team is what concerns the Celts when extracurricular activities break out.

``That's why we came up with Ubuntu,'' he said. ``For somebody to get into a fight or get a flagrant foul to where they're missing two games, that's being selfish and not really thinking about the team. And I think this team is always thinking team, and that's why we don't want to get caught up in all that. We understand that in the long run it can really hurt the team.''

And it's nothing personal anyway.

``I don't dislike anyone in the NBA,'' Pierce said. ``You know, we're all brothers. We all come from different backgrounds, come from different places and we're playing in the NBA like a fraternity. There's not one person I can say I dislike in the NBA.''

And as for all that stuff about winning streaks and records?

``We haven't even talked about it once,'' Pierce said. ``We haven't talked about the streak. We haven't talked about records. We just come to practice every day trying to get better.'' - sbulpett@bostonherald.com