Pierce: Nuggets have struck gold

Even before Allen Iverson was traded to Denver, Paul Pierce suggested that such a transaction would put the Nuggets in the title chase. Now that the deal is done, the Celtics' captain hasn't changed his thinking.

"I think he's in a great situation," Pierce said of Iverson before Boston's 96-95 loss last night to Golden State.

"He's playing for a team that has a chance to win a title in the next couple of years."

Pierce also said that had Iverson been traded to the Celtics, "having a player like that would have pretty much, I think, solidified us as far as being a playoff team and possibly contenders."

As for Iverson making an early splash in his new home, Pierce figures that is something you can expect from a player of his caliber.

"If I was him, I would [try to make an early impression]," Pierce said. "I think when you look at a player like that, when they get traded, they look at a new situation like a fresh start, like Vince [ Carter] in New Jersey, when Shaquille O'Neal went to Miami, and Baron Davis, when he first got to Golden State. You expect [those kinds of players] to play well."

Celtics coach Doc Rivers said he had wished Denver had waited another week or so before pulling the trigger. The Celtics play at Denver Tuesday night and the Nuggets will be without Carmelo Anthony and J.R. Smith because of league suspensions. But they will have Iverson, whose Denver jersey already is available at the NBA Store.

Iverson's debut in a Nuggets uniform was put on hold, as last night's game against the Suns was postponed because of blizzard conditions in Denver.

"I'm glad for everyone involved that it's over," said Rivers, who found out about the deal after seeing the movie "Blood Diamond." He said Iverson "has done so much for our league and now he's in a situation where he's happy. And Philly can move on."

The Celtics host the 76ers tomorrow night.

Brian Scalabrine, who had started the last two games, was not in the building last night. He was down with what Rivers said was the flu. But Ryan Gomes was back in the starting lineup after missing two games because of a right calf strain and had 14 points in 35 minutes . Michael Olowokandi dressed for the game, although Rivers had no intention of playing the big guy. "The only way I would use him would be to guard an inbound [pass] at the end of the game," Rivers said. That is fine with Olowokandi. "I'd be hurting the team if I was out there," said Olowokandi, who hasn't played since Nov. 15 because of an abdominal strain. "You want to be strong enough to play defense, get over screens, and for me it is darn near impossible right now." Olowokandi said he wants to return "as soon as possible" but he couldn't be more specific. As for Wally Szczerbiak, Rivers repeated what he said Tuesday, that Szczerbiak's sprained right ankle is not as serious as once thought and that there is a chance Szczerbiak will return on the team's Western swing, which features five games from Dec. 26 to Jan. 1 . . . Monta Ellis, the Warriors' No. 2 scorer, was limited to six first-half minutes (and 2 points) because of a sore foot . . . Davis and Pierce each played the entire second half . . . Delonte West did not make his first basket until midway through the third quarter but still finished with 10 points . . . The Celtics made only 6 of 21 3-pointers. They entered the game as the No. 4 3-point shooting team in the NBA . . . In three years, Nelson will turn 69. It is his plan at that point to have completed his third season as coach of the Warriors. "I signed a three-year contract," he said. "I plan on doing that." What about after that? "Ask me in a couple of years," he said. "A lot will depend on how the team is doing, how I'm doing, things like that." Asked how it felt to be back on the bench after a one-year respite, Nellie said, "Natural. Comfortable." He joked, however, that only one of his players, Davis, had any idea that Nelson had his number retired by the Celtics. And none of them could possibly know that his head coach led the NBA in field goal percentage in 1974-75 at 53.9 percent.