"The Celtics did not plan to be a .500 team at this point in the season. Nor could they have foreseen having to depend on Paul Pierce to both set up teammates and carry the scoring load.

But after a 94-87 win over the Indiana Pacers last night, the Celtics are feeling like their 9-9 record indicates they are a team with a glass that is more than half full.

Pierce led the way with 28 points, 10 rebounds, and 8 assists and Kevin Garnett, the only Celtic to play in every game this season, added inside strength as the Celtics outrebounded the Pacers, 45-42, and held them to six second-chance points.

"That was the focus right there,'' Pierce said. "We understood they're the No. 1 offensive rebounding team in the league.

"We looked at the tape and [saw] we could get stops on them, we did last game, we just didn't get the rebound. If we could do that, we could run on them. And I thought we did a good job getting offensive rebounds.''"