The Celtics starters played deep into the fourth quarter tonight despite the team having essentially secured the league's best record, but Kevin Garnett doesn't think that's a bad thing.

"We’re preparing for something way bigger than the present," Garnett said after the game. "I just don’t believe that you get to the playoffs and you wake up in the morning and blink and all of a sudden you turn it on."

Before the game, Doc Rivers said he would start resting his starters in the coming weeks, potentially keeping them out of some games just to keep them fresh. Paul Pierce was asked if he would appreciate the time off.

"It is all up to the coaches, and how they feel," said Pierce. "I think I am at the point in my career where any rest I can get is good. If I was a younger player I probably would say no. But it is all up to the coach’s strategy, to give us the rest. It's been a long season. I think by this point in the season, we have probably earned it, but at the same time we have to stay sharp.”

After the game, Rivers outlined his plan in more detail. In the coming weeks, the Celtics essentially will have two days off before and after a game. If Rivers sits one of his players out for a game, the player could potentially get five days off.

"One of the things I looked at, especially with the Big Three, is they didn’t have an All-Star break," said Rivers. "They really didn’t. So this might be it.”