Mark L. Baer/USA TODAY Sports

Celtics coach Doc Rivers is giving his troops some rest after a home-and-home with Philadelphia.Coming off a home-and-home grind against the rival Philadelphia 76ers, the Boston Celtics will take the next two days off before returning to the practice court on Tuesday.

With a three-day break in the schedule, Celtics coach Doc Rivers is sticking with a desire to maximize rest. While Boston players undoubtedly will be at the team's training facility over the next two days for treatment, workouts and light shooting, the team won't reconvene on the floor until Tuesday.

The Celtics will gather as a group on Monday for their annual holiday festivities with patients from Children's Hospital and Boston Medical Center. Paul Pierce, Jason Terry, Jeff Green, Chris Wilcox, Brandon Bass, Courtney Lee and Kris Joseph -- along with assistant coaches Armond Hill, Mike Longabardi, Jamie Young and Jay Larranaga, and co-owner Stephen Pagliuca -- will meet with Children's Hospital patients, while Kevin Garnett, Rajon Rondo, Jason Collins, Leandro Barbosa, Jared Sullinger and Avery Bradley -- along with Rivers, assistants Kevin Eastman, Tyronn Lue, and co-owners Wyc Grousbeck and Bob Epstein -- will descend on the Top of the Hub’s Skywalk Observatory for a holiday party with young patients from the Boston Medical Center’s Pediatric Hematology Program.

The Celtics return to action Wednesday night with a visit from the Dallas Mavericks.