West has broken hand

ORLANDO, Fla. -- Just two games into his return from a fractured right thumb, Delonte West suffered a broken right hand that will keep the rookie point guard out indefinitely. West broke his hand on an innocuous-looking fall early in the second quarter against Miami Sunday night. He iced the hand at halftime and came back to play in the second half. Postgame X-rays revealed the fracture.

"My hand was numb for most of the rest of the game, so I knew something was wrong," said West. "I want to be out there. I want to contribute.

"I'm depressed and all that. But I can't be with my head down. We've still got games to win. I'm hoping for a quick recovery."

The Celtics will know more about the length of the recovery after West sees a hand specialist today. Coach Doc Rivers said he planned to activate Michael Stewart but was holding off until today's reevaluation.

"Not to play on words, but it's a terrible break," said Rivers. "Our second unit was starting to really play well and this kid was playing his butt off.

"I saw him fall. I was shocked when they told me he had to do an X-ray."

He was sorely missed
The reason Rivers doesn't like to deal with details of player injuries was on display last night at the TD Waterhouse Centre: Grant Hill. During Rivers's coaching tenure in Orlando, Hill's reconstructed right ankle overshadowed much of what happened on the court. If Hill had been healthy, Rivers believes he would still be coaching the Magic. But that doesn't keep Rivers from wishing Hill continued success.

"He's one of the better people I've ever been in contact with, on the court or off the court," said Rivers. "He deserves every good thing that comes in his life."

Lately, things have been very good for Hill, though he was held to 11 points last night in the Celtics' 117-101 victory. He is averaging 20.1 points, 4.1 assists, and 5.4 rebounds, and was Eastern Conference Player of the Week for the period ending Nov. 21.

"I knew that if Grant Hill played and was healthy, I was a better coach the next day," said Rivers. "I knew if Grant Hill didn't play, I would not be a better coach the next day. That's just how sports is.

"I really stayed out of the mix medically with it. That's probably what's got me to where I am now when guys get hurt. I rarely even ask. There's nothing I can do."

Painful decision
With West nursing his broken hand and Tom Gugliotta healing a sore lower back, the Celtics will need to make roster decisions before playing Milwaukee tomorrow night at the FleetCenter. West likely will return to the injured list and Gugliotta or Stewart will be activated. "It's going to be between Tom and Yogi [Stewart] because we're not going to bring anybody in, that I know of," said Rivers, who added in jest that "Danny [Ainge] might be on the phone somewhere." The Celtics are in a tough spot, since Justin Reed can't come off the injured list for another couple of games . . . Jiri Welsch received four stitches on his chin after banging into a poorly padded basket support . . . Rivers didn't expect such a small crowd (12,124) upon his return, and quipped that he was not a big enough draw. "When I saw the crowd, I was surprised," he said. "Maybe the fans have been here, but if they haven't, then they should be here. First of all, you have an exciting team. It's not a one-man team."