Celtics’ guard Ricky Davis isn’t complaining about coming off the bench.

WALTHAM, Mass. (AP) – The Boston Celtics knew they were getting a good scorer with a bad reputation when they added Ricky Davis. So far, they’re not complaining.

Davis, who had a reputation as a selfish player and clashed with former coach Paul Silas in Cleveland, said Tuesday he’s content coming off the bench. And he’s contributed with defense and rebounds as a key part of Boston’s push toward the playoffs.

The Celtics are 11-4 in their last 15 games and led Cleveland by 1 games for the final Eastern Conference playoff spot after they beat New Jersey on Monday night. They’re home against Portland on Wednesday night.

Davis has never been in the playoffs and is learning what it takes to contribute to a successful team.

“I see more progress with him over the last month or so in terms of getting it,” coach John Carroll said Tuesday.

Davis has started just three of 49 games since being traded by Cleveland, where he started all 22 games he played, but said he’s not really frustrated.

“I’m cool with it. I’ll do whatever I have to do to help the team,” he said. “Jiri (Welsch) has been playing well and I came in the middle of the season. So he’s been playing well in the starting lineup we have. It’s hard to change it.”

Davis played one season at Iowa before turning pro, spent two seasons with Charlotte, one with Miami and two with Cleveland before this season. He averaged a career-high 20.6 points last season, but the Cavaliers wanted older veterans for their young team and sent the 24-year-old Davis to Boston in a six-player deal that brought Eric Williams and Tony Battie.

Davis is averaging 12.8 points per game with Boston after averaging 15.3 with Cleveland this season but said he wants to stay with the Celtics next season.

The deal brought Davis together with his friend, Paul Pierce.

“You have to pay attention to him when he’s out on the court,” Pierce said. “He’s been a 20-point scorer in this league. Not a lot of people can say that.”

While Davis can keep teams from double-teaming Pierce, that can work in reverse.

“It leaves me wide open on the opposite end of the court (with) guys triple teaming him and when I hit open shots it takes the pressure off him,” Davis said.

Pierce also has eased Davis’ transition to a new role.

“I know when he’s frustrated so I feel like I’m the only one that can really say something to him as a veteran, as a friend, that he’ll listen to,” Pierce said. “He wants more responsibility but I think that’s going to come over time.

“He’s definitely been one that’s taken the most sacrifices in order for this team to try to make the playoffs.”

Carroll agrees that Pierce has helped Davis deal with the changes.

“I think it’s because he respects Paul.” Carroll said. “He doesn’t necessarily defer to Paul but I think he respects him. I think he respects Paul’s ability to score and his ability to dominate games at times.”

And with games on the line in the fourth quarter, Carroll sees a renewed determination in Davis.

“As the games wear down,” Carroll said, “and you see winning as an attainable goal that night I see his focus locked in more and more.”

But Davis hasn’t changed completely from the player who once intentionally missed a shot at his own basket to try to get a rebound that he thought could give him his first career triple-double.

With Boston, he went in alone and missed an acrobatic dunk attempt. He still had time to retrieve the ball and scored.

“I’m just out there having fun and playing my game,” he said. “Some people dunk, some people lay it in.”

And some people like having the ball with the game on the line.

“I feel I can make that last shot if I’ve got to,” said Davis, who has been rebounding and defending well. “I’m just trying to play other roles to win games. I know I can score so it’s not a problem.”

AP-ES-03-30-04 1928EST