HILADELPHIA - The view yesterday afternoon from atop the Atlantic Division was pretty nice, but as Celtics coach Jim O'Brien said, ''We could be out of first place by dinnertime and we'd have nothing to do with it.''

With the Clippers beating Detroit yesterday, the Celtics, Nets, and Pistons were tied atop the Eastern Conference at 14-7. But New Jersey beat New York last night, and went a half-game up.