Celtics Title Town

I was thinking to myself, oh boy here we go with the injuries. But it seems like Pierce, and Bass will be fine. More than likely Doc will shut some guys down for the remainder of the preseason. After watching the guys last night. I'd say do it Doc. They showed great growth in their 115-85 win last night against the Nets.

ESPN Boston

Bass suffered a bruised right knee during the first half and did not return. His injury isn't believed to be serious and Bass is expected to play Saturday against the New York Knicks. He sat out more than two weeks (and six total games) last February while battling right knee inflammation.

Rivers told reporters after the game: "Knee again. I don't know if it's bad, but we just didn't take any chances."

"Paul tweaked his ankle, or he thought we were going to practice [on Friday]. It's one of the two. I'm not sure yet. We'll find out. I think he tweaked his ankle, but I am suspicious."

Rivers actually tried to keep Pierce out of the second half, but lost that battle.

"I actually told him he's not [playing, but] he wanted to play a little bit, so he was fine with that," said Rivers.

The Celtics will take Friday off while bussing from Brooklyn to Albany, N.Y., where they meet the Knicks on Saturday night. Rivers hinted that veterans like Pierce will have a light workload on the first night of a back-to-back to wrap up preseason play.

"This was the hardest game that [the veterans will] play, I can tell you that," Rivers said after Thursday's game. "Maybe the last game [against Philadelphia on Sunday] they may play one good half. The New York game, I would be surprised -- we've got to play somebody. But a lot of them are not playing. They already know that. They knew that before this game. And then we get seven days [of practice] to work and prepare for the by DownloadNSave">start of the season [after Sunday's game]."