Payton feels better, aims to play tonight

WALTHAM -- Gary Payton was back at practice yesterday after missing Monday's session with back woes. He said he's fine, plans to play tonight against the Knicks in New York, and blamed himself for letting the injury occur.

"I slip on the things I'm supposed to do," Payton said. "I get into such a comfort zone where I don't go and do my exercises and it bites me on the back. Especially now that Doc [Rivers] is playing me more minutes now. [With] the wear and tear from years past, I've got to do my exercises. If I do that, I'll be fine."

Payton doesn't miss games very often. He missed one earlier this season when he had a sore hamstring, but it was mainly a precaution. Before that, he hadn't missed a game since the 2000-01 season, and he has missed only four games because of injuries in his 15-year career.

Rivers kept things short yesterday and said he believed Payton would play tonight.

Squared away
The Knicks have started to play reasonably well -- at home. They beat the Spurs in Madison Square Garden Monday night, a victory that still counts in the standings even though San Antonio was without Tim Duncan. It was the Knicks' eighth win in their last 10 home games, with the losses coming to Seattle and Miami. New York is playing four straight games against division leaders . . . Rivers said he had given "zero thought" to the matter of his rookies getting winded down the stretch. Why? "Because there's nothing I can do about it," he said. "We tell them to rest, but young kids don't listen. They want to stay up and watch TV. At least that's what I hope they're doing." . . . Ricky Davis wore a Yankees hat to practice. Bad form. "I'm about to throw it away," he said when pressed on the issue . . . The Knicks were without Kurt Thomas (infected elbow) Monday. Allan Houston, meanwhile, is on the injured list with knee trouble and has appeared in only 20 games this season . . . Rivers on postseason awards (he was Coach of the Year in 2000): "I could care less. I would love our guys to get as many as they can. But the only trophy that anybody in our league should ever want is the one that only one team can get. Other than that, to me, it's a piece of steel. You put it in your house and none of your teammates get to share it. That's the way I look at individual awards."