Celtics 5-0

The Boston Celtics won one for Doc Rivers and sent the New Jersey Nets a message in the process. Hours after attending the funeral of his father in Illinois, Rivers saw the new-look Celtics remain the NBA's only undefeated team and personally show the Nets they are the team to beat in the Atlantic Division with an impressive 112-101 win on Saturday night. Boston's new big three of Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen put on another impressive performance against the Nets (4-2). The victory was the fifth straight for Boston, which is off to its best start since winning six in a row to start the 1987-88 season. That was the last time the trio of Larry Bird, Kevin McHale and Robert Parish got to the Eastern Conference finals.

Brandon Roy scored a career-high 32 points and added seven assists and the Portland Trail Blazers ended a 13-game losing streak to the Dallas Mavericks with a 91-82 victory Saturday night. LaMarcus Aldridge added 18 points and eight rebounds for the Blazers (3-3), who extended their modest winning streak to three games after dropping the first three of the season. Josh Howard had 20 points for Dallas (4-2), which had won its last three. Dallas had won the previous 13 games against the Trail Blazers , a streak dating to the 2003-4 season, including a six-game winning streak at the Rose Garden.

Denver Nuggets coach George Karl wouldn't reveal the contents of his motivational halftime speech on Saturday night. Whatever he said appeared to have the desired effect, though. The Nuggets, who trailed by 25 points in the first half, used Carmelo Anthony 's 32 points and 10 rebounds to pull out a 113-106 victory over the stunned Indiana Pacers. Denver shot 41 percent from the field and committed 13 turnovers before the break, leading to Karl's unpleasant lecture. The Nuggets (4-3) outscored Indiana 57-32 in the second half to win their second straight game following three losses.

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