In Doc Rivers return to Orlando, he got a victory for his players, and his players won one for their coach.

Rivers steered his team back on course while gaining a measure of revenge on his old squad, and the Boston Celtics snapped a four-game losing streak by beating the Orlando Magic 117-101 on Monday night.

The Magic fired Rivers a year ago, after four-plus seasons, when the team stumbled out to a 1-10 start. Rivers, the NBA's coach of the year in 2001, had a 171-168 record with three trips to the playoffs.

But he insisted there was nothing personal about beating his former team.

"For me, I just kept it on the guys," Rivers said. "It couldn't be about me. It had to be about the players, and the players answered tonight."

While Rivers deflected inquiries about his return, his players knew what it meant to him.

"I know Doc is feeling pretty good about this team and the fact they let him go this year," said Paul Pierce, whose 24 points led seven players in double figures. "It worked out for him and the team tonight."

"They attack the basket, so we thought if we could get stops and get up and down the court, then we could beat them before they set their defense," Rivers said. "That was something we saw on film that we could take advantage of, but the key was getting stops first."

Boston Celtics guard Delonte West is out indefinitely after breaking his right hand.

West was hurt in the second quarter of Boston's 106-104 loss at Miami on Sunday night. It was only the rookie's second game since coming off the injured list. He broke his right thumb in the preseason.

In very limited action, West had seven points, four assists and three rebounds.

The injury put a damper on Monday

The Boston Celtics activated their number 24 pick today.  The 6-foot-4 guard has not played in a game this season after suffering a broken right thumb on Nov. 1.

To make room for West the Celtics placed rookie forward Justin Reed on the injured list with a left hop pointer.

In both teams second games following the melee on Friday night, the Detroit Pistons lost to the Charlotte Bobcats and the Indiana Pacers defeated the Boston Celtics.

Charlotte played the Pistons tough on Sunday night, in the first game of a home and home, but ultimately were defeated in double overtime.  On Tuesday, the Bobcats got the better of the Pistons, winning 91-89.

The Pistons were missing Ben Wallace for a second consecutive game due to his suspension.

Emeka Okafor scored 22 points for the Bobcats.

Indiana defeated the Celtics 106-96.  Jamaal Tinsley led all  scorers with 29 points.  The Pacers must tread water for the 25 games Jermaine O'Neal will be suspended, attempting to stay above .500 in his and Stephen Jackson's absence.

Gary Payton told a reporter from the Seattle Times on Saturday that he'd eventually like to go back to the Sonics, for whom he played his first 12 seasons.
   
Payton, 36, will be a free agent after this season. While warming to the Celtics, he has admittedly not enjoyed leaving his family on the West Coast.

"I wish I could have stayed in Seattle and I wish I can go back and finish my career there," Payton told the Times. "It's never going to be that I don't like Seattle. I love Seattle. And it might happen. It could happen and it couldn't. But I think it could. It could. That's just something that's going to have to be seen in the future.

"I would want the fans to come back and see me retire where I started and all of that. I would like to make my last hurrah there. And it would be a good situation for me to do that. Or even if I went to Golden State and finished in my hometown. But my first choice would be Seattle."
   
Last night, Payton clarified his position on the Celtics.

"If we do well this year, I'm open to Boston," Payton said. "I've got all ears open to them. If they make me an offer that I can't resist, I'll have to come back here. It's always open. But I've always said I wanted to finish my career in Seattle because they started me off and I was there so long. But anything can happen. This is life. If Boston comes back and we have a great year and I think this team is gelling the right way, then I'll stay here."

The Boston Celtics ended the Seattle SuperSonics nine-game losing streak, with a 102-83 victory.

Ricky Davis didn't start for the first time this season, but he scored 25 points in 29 minutes. Ray Allen scored 21 for Seattle, but Rashard Lewis was just 4-for-13 from the field for 12 points as the Sonics shot 36 percent as a team.

Seattle had not lost since dropping their opener to the Los Angeles Clippers.

"We're not happy we lost," Fortson said. "But nine games in a row is pretty good."

Paul Pierce's face was noticeably swollen yesterday after some seven hours of dental surgery Monday.

"And this is better than yesterday," said Pierce, proclaiming he'll be ready to play against Portland tonight.
   
The Celtics' captain took an elbow to the mouth in the second quarter of Saturday's victory in New York. He fractured one of his two fake teeth (earned in a floor facial two years ago) and also cracked an adjacent real one.
   
"It was a little worse than they thought," he said. "I had a fracture on the root of my tooth, so it took a little bit longer than they expected."
   
Pierce plans to wear a mouthpiece for Wednesday's contest, and though he couldn't participate a whole lot in Tuesday's practice, he isn't expecting many ill effects from the injury.
   
"I should be fine," he said. "It doesn't have anything to do with my legs or my wrist."

"He didn't do much," Doc Rivers said. "He ran a little bit, but then it started hurting so we sat him out. He's playing (tonight) unless something happens, as far as an infection. But I think he'll be OK.

"I really didn't want him to practice anyway because it was a physical practice. All we would need is somebody to hit him in the mouth, so I'm glad he didn't practice."

Danny Ainge was not the only person to envision former Saint Josephs guard Delonte West being able to run an NBA offense.  According to the Boston Herald Indiana coach Rick Carlisle had the Celtics rookie written in on his draft card along with rookie center Donald Harrison as a potential Pacers pick at No. 29.

``You could tell (West) had a great sense of both being ready to shoot and pass, and that's really a tough thing to teach guys,'' the Pacers coach said. ``He had the ability to do both really well. (Saint Joseph's Phil) Martelli is an excellent coach.

``(West is) a guy who we thought at the point guard position could do unique things, like both handling the ball and scoring. He played in a strong program, and he also played in huge games, so he's a guy we thought could come in and play right away.

``He played with the ball a lot, and because of that he had unique instincts.''

Vin Baker faces the Boston Celtics for the first time since the team voided his $35 million contract then released him last season, and he's approaching it just as it is just another game.  The two sides eventually reached a buyout agreement.

"I can't say anything negative about Danny (Ainge) at all," Baker said of the Celtics GM. "I felt like Danny was a good guy and I don't want to say anything negative about him. I had a lot of conversations with Danny and I think Danny is a Christian guy, an outstanding guy, so nothing personal against Danny at all."

"I'm in a great situation here in New York," Baker said. "I've got a great president, great owner and I've just moved on from that situation. I've got great support here. What's happened in the past is the past now. I'm looking forward. I'm just really fortunate and blessed to have a new opportunity here in New York and I don't want to look back. This is a great situation for me."