Rest for the weary

NBA. There’s a fine line between rest and rust, and Doc Rivers has a plan to make sure his players don’t walk it.

With the Celtics a win away from clinching home court throughout the playoffs, Rivers will give his star veterans some deserved time on the bench over the next few games before revving them back up for the postseason, which begins April 19.

In all likelihood, Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen will trade their jerseys for pompoms for the majority of the next four games, and then get back into the flow for the final two or three of the C’s seven remaining contests.

“We’re going to take advantage of it as far as different minutes and different guys resting,” Rivers said, “then cranking it back up because one thing I don’t like is resting going into the playoffs.”

Though each of the Big Three has seen a decline in minutes per game this season compared to their career averages, they’re all gearing up for their first extended playoff run in years.

Pierce may need to rest the most. He leads the Celtics with 36.7 minutes per game and is the only player on the team who has played in all 75 contests. His deepest playoff run came when the Celtics advanced to the Eastern Conference finals in 2002.

Allen has played 36.6 minutes per game this season but hasn’t played seven times due to injury. His longest playoff charge came seven years ago when the Bucks advanced to the Eastern Conference finals.

Garnett is averaging 33.5 minutes per game in his first year with the Celtics, but he has missed nine contests. His longest postseason run happened four years ago when the Timberwolves made it to the Western Conference finals.

“It’s been a long season,” Pierce said. “I think at this point in the season we probably have earned it, but at the same time, we have to stay sharp.”