"Rasheed Wallace being fined by the NBA, as he was Thursday, hardly qualifies as breaking news anymore.

"It's like the sun coming up lately," Celtics coach Doc Rivers said yesterday. "You wake up and Rasheed's fined."

Wallace's latest deduction was a $35,000 hit for publicly criticizing game officials. That brings his out-of-game fine total to an even $100,000 this season.

And when you throw in the automatic fines for his technical fouls - an ascending scale - he's provided $121,500 to charitable organizations designated by the league.

The real crime here would seem to be that Wallace hasn't been given one of those NBA Cares Man of the Year awards.

"Well, he's buying the trophy if nothing else," Rivers said.

While other players set up foundations to raise money and otherwise donate other people's dough, Wallace opens his own wallet."