"After a while, Chris Wilcox realized he was running on sheer adrenaline.

But the Celtics forward, who missed the previous six games with a bruised left calf and didn't feel particularly sturdy last night, had no desire to leave the floor.

At the recommendation of C's assistant coach Mike Longabardi, Doc Rivers went extra long with Wilcox as part of the rotation guarding Dwight Howard in the Celtics' 91-83 win.

Every available foul was needed. Jermaine O'Neal missed the game with a sore left knee, and the Celtics big man rotation, led by Kevin Garnett, still limited Howard to a performance far more uneven than his 16-point, 16-assist double-double would indicate."