BOSTONPaul Pierce was in no mood to talk with the media, despite the Boston Celtics finally snapping a five-game losing streak with a 96-73 thumping of the Toronto Raptors.
Looking at the kind of night Pierce had, not providing the media with his take on the game would turn out to be one of the few assists Pierce did not make.
It was role-reversal time for him and Rajon Rondo, the team's usual playmaker who had 21 points and just two assists -- a season low for him.
Meanwhile, Pierce had eight points to go with a game-high seven assists.
Rivers was pleased with Pierce's entire game. But there was one play in the third quarter that stuck out.
With the C's up 46-40, Pierce had a wide open look at the basket. Rather than shoot, Pierce instead set up Ray Allen for a 3-pointer -- Allen's first made shot of the night.
"Paul clearly had the shot off the pick and roll," Rivers said. "And he held it long enough for Ray to (get) open and gave Ray a three."
Those are the little plays, the intangible plays that the C's need more of moving forward.
"Ray clearly appreciated that," Rivers said. "Paul knew what he was doing. I didn't; I wanted him to shoot when he came off it. But then when you saw what he was trying to do, it was just -- those little things, man, they really help team building."
And team-building -- or re-building, depending on how you look at it -- has been a topic of conversation following a Yahoo! Sports report that teams were calling the Celtics to see if Pierce was available.
Rajon Rondo can relate to being the subject of trade rumors.
"I was a couple months ago," he said. "It's part of it. I don't think no one is safe until the actual trade deadline is over."
Regardless of what they hear, Pierce's place with the team remains the same.
"He's still our leader. He's the Captain," Rondo said.
And part of that leadership from Pierce as well as the rest of the veterans, doesn't allow for trade rumors to impact the overall product on the floor.
"We're very focused on what we have in our locker room," Rondo said. "We believe in each other."