im O'Brien gave the Celtics yesterday off, an unusual move for a coach who witnessed his team come out flat against the Hawks Saturday night. Uninspired play early led to a disappointing loss late. It was the kind of defeat that can leave players with a sick feeling and more than a few regrets.

So maybe a day off from practice wasn't such an odd idea. Maybe giving the Celtics an extra 24 hours to sit and think about their most recent failure will burn the feelings of frustration into their collective memory. Maybe the next time they find themselves on the wrong side of a slow start they will recall what happened against the Hawks and how they felt afterward, and they'll snap out of it sooner rather than later.