Celtics coach Doc Rivers says that the Bulls are a better team this season.

Last April, Chicago pushed higher-seeded Boston to seven games in the first round of the postseason.

"I think they're a better team," Rivers told the Daily Herald. "I think they're longer, I think they're a better defensive team. I think they fit. That's taking nothing from Ben, he was phenomenal in the playoffs last year. But so was Ray (Allen). We thought they had a UConn deal going to get each other off (scoring).

"I think now their team does fit. (John) Salmons is at two, probably what he is. (Luol) Deng gives them more length at three. (Kirk) Hinrich is playing one and two. I just think they're a better fit.

"And the fact that they had (Brad) Miller and Salmons this year in training camp. I thought that was lost on a lot of people last year. They had to kind of learn on the run. This year, they had the ability to work on things."

The Celtics have decided not to suspend forward Glen Davis for his role in a fight that led to a broken thumb earlier this week.

Davis will be sidelined for at least five weeks with the injury. The team has fined "Big Baby" an undisclosed amount.

"We want him around and he's part of the team," vice president Danny Ainge said at a press conference alongside Davis on Friday night.

"We have that option to have him around or not have him around, and it's pretty simple. Glen is popular with the team. I think the better chance of him coming back and being healthy is when he's with the team."

The NBA has pushed the deadline for contract extensions for all players from the 2006 draft class from Saturday to Monday, league spokesman Tim Frank confirmed Thursday night to ESPN.

NBA front-office sources told ESPN.com that all 30 teams were notified via league memorandum earlier this week that the league's annual Oct. 31 deadline for players in the fourth year of their rookie-scale contracts, according to the collective-bargaining agreement, is moved to the next available business day if the deadline falls on a Saturday, Sunday or federal holiday.

Rajon Rondo and the Celtics are the parties most likely to be affected by pushing the deadline back.

Andrea Bargnani (Toronto), No. 2 LaMarcus Aldridge (Portland), No. 6 Brandon Roy (Portland) and No. 13 Thabo Sefolosha (Oklahoma City) are the only members of the class to sign extensions.

The second night of the 2009-10 season brought us twelve stellar games. Big name acquisitions like Vince Carter (Orlando), Hedo Turkoglu (Toronto), Richard Jefferson (San Antonio) and Ben Gordon (Detroit) all had successful debuts for their new clubs.

- Atlanta 120, Indiana 109

Team FIC Differential: Hawks +35.2, Pacers -35.2

The Atlanta Hawks (1-0) used a ten-point edge in the fourth quarter to distance themselves from the Indiana Pacers (0-1). Al Horford starred with 24 points and 16 rebounds, Josh Smith posted 18 points and eight assists and Joe Johnson scored 25 points on 10-for-21 shooting. Indiana shot 53% from the field, but turned the ball over an astounding 25 times. Danny Granger led with 31 points, Troy Murphy tallied 14 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists and Earl Watson scored 20 points on 7-for-8 shooting off the bench.

Game FIC Scores

Al Horford, Atlanta ? 26.4

Josh Smith, Atlanta ? 22.1

Danny Granger, Indiana ? 17.0

Troy Murphy, Indiana ? 16.5

- Orlando 120, Philadelphia 106

Team FIC Differential: Magic +21.9, 76ers -21.9

The Orlando Magic (1-0) took a 31-point lead into the final period and held on to defeat the Philadelphia 76ers (0-1) at Amway Arena. Dwight Howard dominated with 21 points and 15 rebounds, Jason Williams tallied 15 points and five assists and Ryan Anderson contributed 16 points and five boards in the victory. Philadelphia attempted 13 more foul shots than Orlando, who shot 55% from the field. Marreese Speights led with 26 points and five rebounds, Elton Brand struggled with eight points and six boards on 2-for-7 shooting and Louis Williams put up 18 points, four rebounds and four assists in the loss.

Game FIC Scores

Dwight Howard, Orlando ? 26.5

Marreese Speights, Philadelphia ? 19.5

Louis Williams, Philadelphia ? 16.4

Jason Williams, Orlando ? 12.0

- Toronto 101, Cleveland 91

Team FIC Differential: Raptors +21.2, Cavaliers -21.2

The Toronto Raptors (1-0) dealt the Cleveland Cavaliers (0-2) their second loss in as many nights with a strong performance at Air Canada Centre. Andrea Bargnani had 28 points and five rebounds, Chris Bosh posted 21 points and 16 boards and Hedo Turkoglu added 12 points and 7 rebounds in his Raptor debut. Both teams took 37 free throws, while Cleveland shot just 34% from the field. LeBron James stuffed the stat sheet with 23 points, 12 assists and 11 rebounds, Shaquille O?Neal tallied 12 points and seven boards and Mo Williams contributed 16 points and six rebounds for the Cavaliers.

Game FIC Scores

LeBron James, Cleveland ? 21.8

Andrea Bargnani, Toronto ? 16.5

Hedo Turkoglu, Toronto ? 13.5

Chris Bosh, Toronto ? 13.3

- Boston 92, Charlotte 59

Team FIC Differential: Celtics +63.8, Bobcats -63.8

The Boston Celtics (2-0) opened up a 22-13 after the first quarter and never looked back against the Charlotte Bobcats (0-1). Ray Allen scored a team-high 18 points in the balanced attack, Rajon Rondo tallied 10 points and 11 assists and Shelden Williams put up 12 points and nine rebounds off the bench. Boston held Charlotte to 31% shooting and outscored the young Bobcats in each of the game?s four quarters. Gerald Wallace led with 10 points and 12 rebounds, Raymond Felton posted nine points and four boards and rookie Gerald Henderson had eight points on 3-for-7 shooting in his professional debut.

Game FIC Scores

Rajon Rondo, Boston ? 19.8

Shelden Williams, Boston ? 13.6

Kevin Garnett, Boston ? 12.8

Paul Pierce, Boston ? 11.0

- Miami 115, New York 93

Team FIC Differential: Heat +23.8, Knicks ? 23.8

The Miami Heat (1-0) exploded in the third quarter en route to an emphatic win over the New York Knicks (0-1) on Wednesday night. Dwyane Wade starred with 26 points, five rebounds and five assists, Jermaine O?Neal posted 22 points and 12 boards and Michael Beasley scored 21 points on 9-for-14 shooting. Miami shot a blistering 56% from the field, while holding New York to 10-for-39 from three-point land. David Lee had 22 points and nine rebounds, Wilson Chandler tallied 21 points and seven boards and Danilo Gallinari contributed 22 points and six rebounds off the bench.

Game FIC Scores

Jermaine O?Neal, Miami ? 21.3

David Lee, New York ? 16.5

Danilo Gallinari, New York ? 16.5

Dwyane Wade, Miami ? 15.1

- Minnesota 95, New Jersey 93

Team FIC Differential: Timberwolves -0.3, Nets +0.3

Damien Wilkins rebounded a missed shot and put it in to give the Minnesota Timberwolves (1-0) and dramatic win over the New Jersey Nets (0-1). Rookie Jonny Flynn had 18 points, Wilkins posted 12 points and 10 rebounds and Al Jefferson struggled with nine points and four boards in 25 minutes of play. Minnesota outscored New Jersey 31-15 in the fourth quarter and forced 22 turnovers. Brook Lopez starred with 27 points, 15 rebounds and five blocks, Yi Jianlian tallied 17 points and 12 boards and Devin Harris put up 14 points, eight assists and six rebounds in defeat.

Game FIC Scores

Brook Lopez, New Jersey ? 26.6

Yi Jianlian, New Jersey ? 15.0

Damien Wilkins, Minnesota ? 14.9

Devin Harris, New Jersey ? 9.8

- San Antonio 113, New Orleans 96

Team FIC Differential: Spurs +25.5, Hornets -25.5

The San Antonio Spurs (1-0) started the new season off on the right foot with an impressive win over the New Orleans Hornets (0-1). Six players scored in double figures for the Spurs with Tony Parker turning in 17 points and six assists, Manu Ginobili 16 points on 5-for-11 shooting and rookie DeJuan Blair recording 14 points and 11 rebounds. San Antonio outrebounded New Orleans by nine and shot 52% from the floor. Chris Paul had 26 points and nine assists, Emeka Okafor debuted with 18 points and 10 rebounds and David West tallied 18 points and nine boards for the Hornets.

Game FIC Scores

David West, New Orleans ? 18.8

Chris Paul, New Orleans ? 16.8

Tim Duncan, San Antonio ? 15.5

DeJuan Blair, San Antonio ? 14.6

- Oklahoma City 102, Sacramento 89

Team FIC Differential: Thunder +29.5, Kings -29.5

The Sacramento Kings (0-1) tried to make a game of it in the fourth quarter, but the Oklahoma City Thunder (1-0) had built too much of a lead. Kevin Durant excelled with 25 points and 11 rebounds, Jeff Green posted 24 points and eight boards and Russell Westbrook flirted with a triple-double (14 points, 13 assists and seven rebounds). Oklahoma City shot 51% from the floor, while holding Sacramento to just 40%. Kevin Martin scored 27 points on 5-for-19 shooting, Jason Thompson tallied 11 points and nine rebounds and rookie Omri Casspi had 15 points on 7-for-9 shooting off the bench.

Game FIC Scores

Jeff Green, Oklahoma City ? 21.0

Russell Westbrook, Oklahoma City ? 20.8

Kevin Durant, Oklahoma City ? 18.1

Kevin Martin, Sacramento ? 16.2

- Detroit 96, Memphis 74

Team FIC Differential: Pistons +31, Grizzlies -31

Ben Gordon scored 22 points in his debut as the Detroit Pistons (1-0) thumped the Memphis Grizzlies (0-1) at the FedEx Forum. Richard Hamilton had 25 points on 10-for-19 shooting, Tayshaun Prince posted 14 points and five rebounds and Charlie Villanueva had seven points and three blocks. Detroit held Memphis to 36% shooting and turned the ball over just nine times. Marc Gasol led with 21 points and 15 rebounds, Zach Randolph began his Memphis career with 14 points and nine boards and Rudy Gay added 16 points and five rebounds in the loss.

Game FIC Scores

Marc Gasol, Memphis ? 20.6

Richard Hamilton, Detroit ? 15.4

Tayshaun Prince, Detroit ? 11.1

Ben Gordon, Detroit ? 9.9

- Denver 114, Utah 105

Team FIC Differential: Nuggets +5.4, Jazz -5.4

The Denver Nuggets (1-0) used a strong fourth quarter to pull away from the Utah Jazz (0-1) on Wednesday night. Carmelo Anthony starred with 30 points, eight rebounds and five assists, Kenyon Martin tallied 16 points and 11 rebounds and rookie Ty Lawson contributed 17 points and six assists off the bench. Denver narrowly outshot and outrebounded Utah in the close battle. Deron Williams led with 28 points and 13 assists, Carlos Boozer posted 12 points and 11 rebounds and Andrei Kirilenko put up 16 points, five boards and four dimes.

Game FIC Scores

Deron Williams, Utah ? 23.5

Carmelo Anthony, Denver ? 19.8

Ty Lawson, Denver ? 14.4

Chauncey Billups, Denver ? 12.4

- Houston 108, Golden State 107

Team FIC Differential: Rockets +13.4, Warriors -13.4

Stephen Curry made a layup in the final seconds off a missed three-pointer by Anthony Morrow that was too little, too late for the Golden State Warriors (0-1) against the Houston Rockets (1-0). Trevor Ariza had 25 points, five rebounds and five assists, Luis Scola posted 21 points and 11 boards and Aaron Brooks contributed 18 points and 12 dimes. Houston used a 35-19 edge in the third quarter to grab control of the game. Monta Ellis led with 26 points and five assists, Corey Maggette tallied 10 points and nine rebounds off the bench and Curry had 14 points and seven dimes in his professional debut.

Game FIC Scores

Luis Scola, Houston ? 18.5

Aaron Brooks, Houston ? 17.8

Stephen Curry, Golden State ? 14.8

Shane Battier, Houston ? 14.5

- Phoenix 109, L.A. Clippers 107

Team FIC Differential: Suns +8.7, Clippers -8.7

Steve Nash hit a driving layup with six seconds remaining to give the Phoenix Suns (1-0) a close win over the Los Angeles Clippers (0-2). Nash led with 24 points and eight assists, Grant Hill tallied 19 points and 13 rebounds and Amare Stoudemire put up 16 points and five boards in the victory. Los Angeles shot 55% from the floor, but cooled down in the second half. Marcus Camby had 23 points and 11 rebounds, Baron Davis posted 12 points and 12 assists and Chris Kaman contributed 22 points and nine boards in the loss.

Game FIC Scores

Marcus Camby, Los Angeles ? 24.3

Grant Hill, Phoenix ? 18.5

Baron Davis, Los Angeles ? 17.8

Steve Nash, Phoenix ? 15.6

? RealGM calculates the Floor Impact Counter using the following formula: (Points + .75 Defensive Rebounds + Offensive Rebounds + Steals + Assists + Blocks - .75 Field Goal Attempts - .375 Free Throw Attempts - Turnovers - .5 Personal Fouls)

( )'s indicate a negative FIC score.

It is also used to rank players and to determine their ?Reina Value.? Click here to view the player rankings with the Reina Value for the current season

Celtics coach Doc Rivers didn't have much to say about the situation surrounding forward Glen Davis on Wednesday night.

Davis, who injured his thumb during an altercation earlier this week, has been suspended "indefinitely" by the organization.

The forward is expected to miss six weeks after undergoing surgery on Tuesday.

"I'm pretty far removed from the situation," Rivers said prior to Wednesday's home opener against the Bobcats. "I haven't even really thought about it."

Rivers did say that Davis is part of the Celtics' family and that he'll have a support system.

Tuesday's Opening Night featuring games between the Celtics and Cavaliers, along with the Lakers and Clippers, became Turner's most-watched opening night in its 26 years of airing the NBA.

TNT drew nearly 3.7 million viewers Tuesday for the Celtics' 95-89 victory over the Cavaliers, followed by the Lakers' 99-92 win over the Clippers. That was a 43 percent increase over the 2.6 million that watched last year's opening-night doubleheader.

After four long months, the NBA is finally back in action. The 2009-10 season kicked off with four matchups dripping with both playoff possibilities and long-standing rivalries.

- Boston 95, Cleveland 89

Team FIC Differential: Celtics +11.8, Cavaliers -11.8

The Boston Celtics (1-0) used a strong second quarter to open the new season with a win over the Cleveland Cavaliers (0-1). Paul Pierce starred with 23 points and 11 rebounds, Kevin Garnett returned to action with 13 points and 10 boards and Rajon Rondo contributed eight points, 10 assists and six rebounds. Boston outrebounded Cleveland by six, while shooting 9-for-19 from three-point land. LeBron James excelled with 38 points and eight assists, Shaquille O?Neal made his debut with 10 points and 10 boards and Mo Williams scored 12 points on 3-for-8 shooting.

Game FIC Scores

LeBron James, Cleveland ? 26.6

Paul Pierce, Boston ? 16.5

Rajon Rondo, Boston ? 16.0

Kevin Garnett, Boston ? 14.8

- Washington 102, Dallas 91

Team FIC Differential: Wizards +4.8, Mavericks -4.8

Gilbert Arenas led the Washington Wizards (1-0) to an impressive road win over the Dallas Mavericks (0-1) on Tuesday night. Arenas had 29 points and nine assists, Caron Butler posted 16 points and eight rebounds and Andray Blatche contributed 20 points and seven boards in the victory. Washington held Dallas to 39% shooting, while attempting ten fewer foul shots. Dirk Nowitzki starred with 34 points and nine rebounds, Shawn Marion tallied 16 points and seven boards and J.J. Barea put up 13 points, six rebounds and four assists off the bench.

Game FIC Scores

Andray Blatche, Washington ? 16.5

Dirk Nowitzki, Dallas ? 16.4

Gilbert Arenas, Washington ? 15.9

Shawn Marion, Dallas ? 13.9

- Portland 96, Houston 87

Team FIC Differential: Trail Blazers +30.2, Rockets -30.2

The Portland Trail Blazers (1-0) used a strong second quarter to distance themselves from the Houston Rockets (0-1), who refused to lie down in the second half. Travis Outlaw led with 23 points off the bench, Brandon Roy posted 20 points, five rebounds and five assists and Greg Oden contributed two points, 12 rebounds and five blocked shots. Portland outrebounded Houston by 18, which allowed them to overcome an unsightly 26 turnovers. Aaron Brooks had 19 points and five assists, Kyle Lowry tallied 12 points and eight dimes and David Anderson put up 11 points and five rebounds in the loss.

Game FIC Scores

Travis Outlaw, Portland ? 17.8

Kyle Lowry, Houston ? 14.0

Martell Webster, Portland ? 12.2

Aaron Brooks, Houston ? 12.2

- L.A. Lakers, 99, L.A. Clippers 92

Team FIC Differential: Lakers +1.2, Clippers -1.2

The Los Angeles Lakers (1-0) used a six-point edge in the fourth quarter to pull away from the Los Angeles Clippers (0-1) on Tuesday night. Without Pau Gasol (hamstring), Kobe Bryant starred with 33 points and eight rebounds, Andrew Bynum tallied 23 points and 13 boards and Lamar Odom added 16 points, 13 rebounds and five assists. The Lakers attempted 21 more free throws than the Clippers, who won the rebounding battle by four and held the defending champions to 41% shooting on the night. Eric Gordon scored 21 points on 7-for-14 shooting, Chris Kaman exploded with 18 points and 16 rebounds and Marcus Camby aided with 14 points, six rebounds and four assists. The Lakers received their championship rings in a ceremony prior to the game.

Game FIC Scores

Andrew Bynum, L.A. Lakers ? 22.8

Kobe Bryant, L.A. Lakers ? 21.0

Lamar Odom, L.A. Lakers ? 19.8

Chris Kaman, L.A. Clippers ? 15.5

? RealGM calculates the Floor Impact Counter using the following formula: (Points + .75 Defensive Rebounds + Offensive Rebounds + Steals + Assists + Blocks - .75 Field Goal Attempts - .375 Free Throw Attempts - Turnovers - .5 Personal Fouls)

( )'s indicate a negative FIC score.

It is also used to rank players and to determine their ?Reina Value.? Click here to view the player rankings with the Reina Value for the current season

Contract negotiations between the Celtics and point guard Rajon Rondo are not dead.

The two sides could still reach terms on an extension before Saturday's deadline, according to agent Bill Duffy.

Duffy met with Celtics director of basketball operations Danny Ainge on Tuesday night and the club made a counterproposal that has rekindled negotiations.

Duffy told Yahoo! Sports on Monday that talks were dead.

The Celtics have suspended forward Glen Davis "indefinitely" for a fight that led to a broken thumb.

"Yes, we'll suspend Glen for the game tonight and tomorrow night, and we'll have further discussion on how long that suspension (will last)," Celtics director of basketball operations Danny Ainge told the Boston Herald on Tuesday.

The team expects Davis to miss six weeks after having surgery Tuesday on his fractured right thumb. They are basing the suspension on a contractual provision that forbids fighting.

"He's going to have to chip in for this situation he caused," said Celtics managing partner Wyc Grousbeck. "This was an unauthorized activity resulting in the team losing his services, and he's going to have to pay for that. There are going to be consequences for that.

"But we're still looking forward to his return. He's still a part of this team. We want him to get past this and get back on the court."

Boston?s Big Three, plus Rasheed Wallace spoiled Cleveland?s season opener on Tuesday night with a 95-89 win over the new-look Cavaliers, according to an Associated Press report.

Paul Pierce scored 23 points, Ray Allen 16 and Kevin Garnett 13 as the Celtics ended an 11-game losing streak in Cleveland.