"Mickael Pietrus has been nothing but smiles and 3-pointers in his brief time with the Celtics. Both were in short supply during his stint in Phoenix last season.

Pietrus was part of a trade that sent him from Orlando to Phoenix last season and he struggled to fit in with the Suns, averaging 7.5 points on 39.2 percent shooting in 38 games. That was only the start of the problems, as his season came to a premature end when he injured his right knee in March.

Pietrus didn't undergo arthroscopic surgery on his knee until July, when it was recommended by the French national team's medical staff. The delayed surgery prevented Pietrus from being healthy at the start of the season, a setback he blames on the Suns medical staff.

"All I know is their doctor told me my knee was fine," Pietrus said before facing his former team last night at the Garden. "When I got here a week after training camp, (the Suns doctor) told me, 'I knew about your knee.' So that told me how they deal with the players. I didn't really like that, but I moved on and I finally got in a better situation.

"I don't even know why he has his license. If he's going to tell me that, 'I know that your knee was messed up and I didn't tell you anything,' that makes no sense to me.""