Rivers ready to get back to business

UNDATED - Doc Rivers plans to be on the bench tonight for Boston's home game against Denver. The Celtics coach left the team last weekend after learning that his father had passed away. Boston improved to 2-and-0 with Sunday's 98-95 overtime win over Minnesota. Assistant Tom Thibodeau ran the show against the Timberwolves.

Rivers says he'll also coach Friday's game against Atlanta before returning to Chicago for his father's funeral on Saturday.

Rivers says he's chartered a plane to take him to New Jersey for Saturday night's game against the Nets, but says his emotional state after the funeral may determine whether he makes the trip.

Elsewhere tonight in the NBA: Atlanta hosts Phoenix; winless Miami is at San Antonio in a matchup of the last two NBA champions; the Clippers and Pacers are both undefeated headed into their meeting at Indiana; undefeated New Orleans is at winless Portland; Charlotte looks to bounce back from its first loss of the season at Philadelphia; Seattle hosts Memphis in a battle of teams with a zero in the win column and Cleveland continues its road trip at Utah.