"With captain Paul Pierce dubbed doubtful for Sunday's Christmas Day matchup against the Knicks, Sasha Pavlovic becomes the likely Celtics starter. It's a heady challenge for the veteran wingman, who struggled with his confidence after coming to Boston last March. Still, with Pierce hurting and Jeff Green sidelined with a heart ailment, coach Doc Rivers said he's fully prepared to thrust Pavlovic into the top unit.

"Most likely," Rivers said Friday when asked whether Pavlovic will start in lieu of Pierce. "We've [run him with the starters] this week so he can get a feel. We could change our mind on that one, but I would say most likely."

Previously, Rivers had discussed the possibility of giving Marquis Daniels the Sunday start if Pierce can't go, but on Friday he expressed a desire to keep Daniels with the team's second unit. "