WALTHAM - Forty games is about half an NBA season and more contests than the North Carolina's men's basketball team played en route to an NCAA championship this year. It's also the amount of playoff games the Celtics have had the last two seasons.
They reached the 40 mark when they faced the Magic in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference semifinals last night. Not included in that tally is the seven overtimes in Boston's first-round series against Chicago.
The 2008 NBA champs also have played in four Game 7s, and 204 games total including the regular season and playoffs, since the beginning of the 2007-08 season.
"It's a lot of games," coach Doc Rivers said. "I don't ever count, but that is a lot of games."
"It doesn't seem like [40]," said center Kendrick Perkins.
There is a perception that the Celtics are an old team. Boston's roster, however, actually averages 27.5 years of age and eight of the 15 players were born in 1982 or later.
The team's All-Star trio of Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen, and Paul Pierce all are in their 30s. Garnett has not played in a playoff game this year because of a right knee sprain. But considering the Celtics' youth and Garnett's injury, Rivers is only worried long term about the high number of playoff games affecting Pierce and Allen. Pierce has played in 201 regular-season and playoff games since the 2007-08 season while Allen has played in 190.
"The guys are in so much better shape than when we played, with better coaches and nutritionists and that kind of stuff," Rivers said. "So no, it doesn't bother me at all. We have a really young team. You hate the extra minutes on Kevin, Paul, and Ray, but in this case Kevin has registered none so it doesn't bother me at all."
"It will probably bother me when I get a little older. But I don't feel it," said Perkins.
The Celtics had a short offseason after winning their title in mid-June last season. Perkins and guard Rajon Rondo turned down an opportunity to play for USA Basketball's Select Team last July, citing fatigue and injuries. Despite the high number of games this season, Perkins, Rondo, and forward Glen Davis seem interested in taking part in USA Basketball's minicamp this summer.
"[A short offseason] is hard because you want to work on different parts of your game," Perkins said. "But at the same time . . . you want to get some rest. But it's all mental.
"It doesn't affect [the USA Basketball decision]. All three of us have a bigger summer ahead with working hard, so that would come with it anyway. That would fall right into place."
Said Rivers on Rondo, Perkins, and Davis possibly playing for the US: "This summer will be tough. But I don't care. Listen, I'm a big believer in playing basketball to make you a better player. So I'd rather that they play."
Despite the wear and tear of playoff games, Pierce and Rivers see it as a good thing.
"I'm gaining more and more playoff experience," Pierce said. "It's always fun because you're playing for something. The playoffs you're playing for a goal. It's good to have these experiences because when you look back when your career is over, a lot of games you're going to remember are the playoff games.
"You might bring up your regular-season games, a couple of them. But it's going to be about your playoff experiences."
"It's half a season, but it's worth it," said Rivers. "It's what you play for. You play to get to the postseason, so let's just play more of them."
Marc J. Spears can be reached at mspears@globe.com 
