November 19, 2008 Rivers: Garnett-less win was a good test Play video

(NECN: Waltham, Mass.) - They didn't have Kevin Garnett, but they still got the W, and that makes Boston Celtics head coach Doc Rivers a happy man. He said last night the team picked up where it left off last season, as far as playing without their starters. "Last year, we did a great job when guys missed games," Rivers said at today's practice, "Obviously we'd rather play with Kevin, but without him they (the players) still have a great confidence."

Now the team enters a busy stretch, with three games in less than 72 hours, beginning THursday night when the Detroit Pistons come to Boston - the start of a stretch of 10 games in 17 days. "The bench is the key to this stretch," Rivers said. "The more they can play and the better they can play, the more the starters can rest and be fresh down the stretch."

And it begins with a hot Detroit team Thursday night.