Ill Kendrick Perkins left behind

WALTHAM - Kendrick Perkins [stats] is down, but he may not be out.

The Celtics [team stats] center didn’t accompany the team to Michigan yesterday afternoon, the latest victim of flu-like symptoms that are running through the club. But there is a chance, albeit slim, he still could be on the court against the Pistons tonight.

“If he’s feeling better, he’s going to fly up (today) to the game,” said coach Doc Rivers. “Obviously I don’t see that happening, but if he’s feeling a lot better we’ll have him do that.

“We just have so many guys that aren’t feeling well right now we can’t afford to even have a guy around anybody else to let it start up again. So we’re taking a different measure right now. We’re just keeping all unhealthy people away from each other.

“Even with injuries,” Rivers added with a smile. “Just stay away.”

The coach said Rasheed Wallace “most likely” will take Perkins’ place in the starting lineup.

Inside story

Rivers didn’t completely buy in to Wallace’s claim in yesterday’s Herald that he’s wanted to play inside more, but that the plays have called for him to be on the perimeter.

“It’s both,” Rivers said. “It is what it is.”

The coach is pleased that Wallace has been taking a higher percentage of his shots inside the arc since the All-Star break.

“I like our pace now,” Rivers said. “It’s getting back to where we should have it. But it’s on the guards to make the right play calls, too. It’s everything. It’s not one little thing. It’s a little bit of him going out there and being comfortable out there. We’ve just got to get it right.”

Taking a spin

Rivers took a trip to the spin zone. He talked openly about the Celts’ shortcomings, but tried to put things in a better light.

“At the end of the day, we’re still in the loss column one game out of the second spot in the East,” he said. “We’re a game behind Denver. We’re three or four (actually six) behind the Lakers. I mean, as bad as we so-called have played, we’re still in the thick of things. And that’s what you want at this time because we haven’t played well.

“In some ways maybe we’re lucky in that way that other teams have faltered in other places, as well. But we have a lot of games to get it right, and we’re going to have to try to do that.”

Citing loss column numbers is a bit specious, in that as of yesterday afternoon the Celts had played three fewer games than Orlando and the Lakers and two fewer than Denver. But Rivers is correct in saying his club is close enough to move up the standings and get a better playoff position.

No block party

Glen Davis was disappointed to learn that Cleveland center Shaquille O’Neal is expected to be sidelined for eight weeks after undergoing thumb surgery yesterday. O’Neal injured the thumb last Thursday against the C’s when Davis smacked his hand while blocking a shot.

“It (stinks) it just happened like that,” Davis said. “He’s just playing and gets fouled like that - well not get fouled - but just gets a crazy hit like that. I hope he does get better. I’m going to call him to see how he’s doing.” . . .

Rajon Rondo [stats]’s season-high 17 assists against the Nets gives him six straight games with double figures in that category. It’s the longest such run for the Celtics [team stats] since Nate Archibald went seven straight in the 1981-82 season.