Two different comments about the Celtics have made the rounds today. One complimentary, and the other not so much. Orlando Magic general manager Otis Smith questioned the Celtics tough reputation by telling the Orlando Sentinel, “They act tough. They’re not really tough. They act tough.”

Asked about it before the Celtics game with the Pistons, Ray Allen responded, “It doesn’t matter. We know who we are.”

Celtics coach Doc Rivers wouldn’t even go that far. “I’ll let everybody else talk about us,” he said. “They seem to do it better than us.”

Told that Lakers coach Phil Jackson had suggested that Heat couldn’t beat the Celtics, Rivers joked, “In that case I think Phil is a genius! And I hope he’s right. There’s a lot of playing to be played. We’ll see how that all works out.”