Rivers said he wasn't sure how the Knicks will play without Smith, but assumes they'll miss his ability to create shots.
BOSTON – Before Sunday's Game 4 against the New York Knicks, Boston Celtics head coach Doc Rivers said he will return to the starting lineup he used in Games 1 and 2, with Brandon Bass back in the first five in place of Jason Terry.
"No reason, really," Rivers explained. "I just like Brandon on (Carmelo Anthony) more. Actually, again like I said (Saturday), the smaller lineup – the numbers actually say it's better. But I like our defense better the other way."
Knicks wing J.R. Smith will serve a one-game suspension Sunday after elbowing Terry during the fourth quarter of Game, and the penalty didn't surprise Rivers.
"I kind of assumed it when you saw it on the film watching the game," Rivers said.
"It's funny, I don't know when it happened, last night, (Saturday), whenever they announced it," he added, "one of our coaches came in and said, 'Hey, J.R.'s suspended.' I almost had no reaction. I assumed it, I didn't give it any other thought. I actually forgot they they were thinking about it until the coach came in."
New York coach Woodson wouldn't comment on the actual suspension, but said he talked to Smith and the Sixth Man of the Year feels "down." With his second offensive option out, Woodson could give another wing the opportunity for playing time.
"Next guy up," he said. "We have James White, we have Quentin Richardson, (Chris Copeland is) still sitting over there. So we'll shuffle our lineup and go from there."
"We're going to miss (Smith's) scoring," Woodson said, "but again, it gives somebody else an opportunity to come up. It's not a one- or two-man show on this team. It gives other guys an opportunity to step up to make plays. That's what I want to see, see who's going to step up."
Rivers said he wasn't sure how the Knicks will play without Smith, but assumes they'll miss his ability to create shots.
"I'll let you know after the game. I'll have a far better idea than I do now," Rivers said. "Listen, he's one of their other guys that can create shots. Especially in the playoffs, you need a guy."
"In the playoffs, you take teams out of their stuff and then it comes down to guys creating shots for themselves and others," Rivers added. "Well, Melo does that, (Raymond) Felton has done that and J.R Smith does that. Now, they don't have one of those guys."
Don't expect a 'Nate Robinson-type' performance' Sunday
The pressures of an elimination game brought questions about the potential for 'hero ball,' which is what Rivers likes to call it when one player wants to win so badly he tries to do it by himself.
Asked if he'll tell his players to make the extra pass rather than trying to shoulder too much of an offensive load individually, the coach responded: "That's always the key in games like this. It's the same thing in a Game 7, there's no difference in a lot of ways. The team that trusts and stays within themselves – you know that line, stay in your own lane, each individual players – those are the teams that win. And the teams that don't, unless they have a Nate Robinson-type performance, then you lose."
Robinson scored 34 points Saturday – including 23 in the fourth quarter alone – as the Chicago Bulls outlasted the Brooklyn Nets in triple overtime to take a 3-1 series advantage.
"It was great. It was fun," Rivers said of Robinson's outburst. "I was more happy for Thibs (Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau), quite honestly. But I was happy for Nate too. Nate can do that, and he did."