As Jeff Green gathered the ball continuously in the second half Friday against Fenerbahce Ulker in Istanbul and either scored or reached the free throw line, Celtics coach Doc Rivers exhaled and grinned in relief.

Not only had Green returned from surgery to repair an aortic aneurysm, but he was producing off the bench, a sign that Rivers can rely on the offense to continue flowing when Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, or Brandon Bass are on the bench.