Doc: 'There's a better game in us'

WALTHAM -- Despite winning Game 3 against the Heat Friday night decisively, 101-91, Celtics coach Doc Rivers said Saturday that he feels his team can and needs to raise their level of play for Game 4 and the rest of the series if they're to beat LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and the Heat. 

Rivers was not pleased that his team allowed James to score 16 points in the first quarter, one in which Miami finished with 28 points. The Celtics also allowed the Heat to score 28 points in the fourth quarter as the Heat outscored Boston, 28-16, in making a late charge that fell short. 

"In the first quarter I thought we were poor defensively," Rivers said. "In the fourth quarter, we were poor, defensively. That's the point I'm making. We played well but there's a better game in us. And we know it, we'll see it on film [in Sunday shootaround before Game 4] and we have to do it."

Rivers and the Celtics players were mandated by the NBA to show up at their practice facility on Saturday's day off to be available to the media, otherwise, Rivers said, most of them would've either had light treatment or stayed home. 

"We've only won one game," Rivers said. "We have another one at home. That's where we want to play. We're still down one game in this series. We've only done one thing, we've won one game. We have to play better. I still think we can play better. That's the first thing I told them after the game. It was a great win but that's still not our best. We have to play better and we can play better."

For more from Paul Flannery and Mike Petraglia at Celtics practice Saturday, visit the Celtics team page at weei.com/celtics [1] and the Green Street [2] blog.