Pierce put the hurt on Raptors

In a season-high 49 minutes, Paul Pierce went over, around, and this time under the Raptors for 39 points despite a sore knee. (Matthew J. Lee/Globe Staff)

It's not as if Doc Rivers wasn't going to bump into Paul Pierce in the locker room before the game.

It's not as if he didn't know Pierce was getting around on a right knee that he banged up the night before in Toronto.

It's not that Rivers wasn't curious about Pierce's status.

It's just that, when you're a coach, you know not to ask.

Mike Fratello passed down that pearl of coaching wisdom.

"Never ask a player if he's hurt," he told Rivers. "Because they may say yes."

It's a paranoid spin, but it works for Rivers.

Some players will come to you. Say, for instance, Kendrick Perkins.

"He walked right up to me and told me, 'Coach, my shoulder's hurting,' " Rivers said. "He never does that, so you know it must be hurting."

Some players won't, like Pierce. So when they crossed paths, Rivers said, "I didn't even ask. I just walked right by him."

Pierce didn't say anything either, which is exactly what Rivers was looking for.

"Doc's been around me long enough to know it's going to take a lot to keep me off the court," Pierce said.

On a bad knee that hasn't had a chance to get better over the course of the season, Pierce played the most minutes he's played all season (49) and the Celtics needed him for each one in their 115-109 overtime win over Toronto last night.

Pierce stuck dagger after dagger into a Raptors team that wouldn't go down.

He caught Joey Graham sleeping on his first step in the fourth quarter, dribbling by and pulling up for a 12-footer that made it 92-88 with 24 seconds left, seemingly a clincher for the Celtics until Andrea Bargnani hit a three that sent it into overtime.

The extra minutes seemed more like borrowed time for Pierce, but he dominated. He scored 9 more points, but the most impressive play came when he was pinned in the corner, looking to go baseline, only to see Anthony Parker, Bargnani, and Roko Ukic almost forming a soccer wall. It looked as though he was going to try to strong-arm a shot, but instead he hit Leon Powe with a pass under the basket for a layup that gave the Celtics a 6-point lead.

Even under the circumstances, no one expected less.

"I'm never surprised by anything Paul does," said Brian Scalabrine. "Ever."

The Celtics fell behind by as many as 12, but on a night when he scored a season-high 39 points on 13-of-26 shooting, Pierce made a habit of hitting baskets that bailed his team out.

He played the first 17 minutes, and even though he scored only 6 first-half points, he was diving for loose balls, trying to breathe life into busted possessions.

He went into take-over mode in the second half, scoring 14 points in the third quarter and making strips on defense that turned into fast-break layups. With the Celtics down 10, the ball swung Pierce's way on the wing and he hit Ray Allen with a no-look pass that Allen turned into a reverse layup.

Plays like those kept the game from spiraling out of hand, and in the fourth quarter, Pierce made a dish that set up Kevin Garnett for an 18-footer that gave the Celtics an 86-84 lead, their first since 15-13.

"When you see Paul going like he's going," Garnett said, "you try to let him just take care of the buckets and I'll take care of the defense at least. Let that man score."

Rivers says it's become Pierce's calling card.

"There's players who play the game and there's players who absolutely love the game," Rivers said. "Paul's one of those love guys.

"First of all, he's tough as nails, plus he has such a love for the game. He's able to play through pain because of the love for the game and it's clear."

Julian Benbow can be reached at jbenbow@globe.com