Celtics' Rivers a big Thibodeau fan

BOSTON -- Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau grew up in Connecticut, but closer to New York than Boston, so he was a Knicks fan growing up.

Still, this game was something of a homecoming for Thibodeau, who attended college at Salem (Mass.) State, coached at Harvard and spent the past three seasons as a Celtics assistant under Doc Rivers.

Before the game, Rivers was asked why it took so long for Thibodeau, an NBA assistant for 20 years, to get a head coaching job.

“I don't know. There are a lot of reasons why you get jobs and don't get jobs,” Rivers said. “Really, two years ago is when I was more upset about it, because we just won the title. Tom was very important. He just didn't get one. He didn't complain about it. He just went back to work. He's a lifer and when you think about Tom, that's his life and he's really dedicated himself to it.”

Early to office:

Boston coach Doc Rivers considers himself part of the Pat Riley coaching tree, since he played for Riley's Knicks in the 1990s. Tom Thibodeau coached under Riley's successor, Jeff Van Gundy, in New York.

So when Thibodeau joined the Celtics in 2007, Rivers had heard stories of Thibodeau's legendary work ethic.

“I thought they were exaggerated and they were not, let me put it that way,” Rivers said. “Every once in a while, one of our coaches would try to beat him in the morning and we couldn't. You got there at 6, he was there earlier somehow. That's just who he is.”

Bull horns:

Aging Celtics center Shaquille O'Neal sat out with a bruised knee and could be out for a while, according to coach Doc Rivers. … Tom Thibodeau was replaced on Boston's bench by ex-Nets coach Lawrence Frank. … Ex-Celtics fan favorite Brian Scalabrine played three minutes and blocked a shot by Paul Pierce.