CHARLOTTE, N.C. - The moment Paul Pierce jammed his left big toe late in the Celtics’ victory over the Nets Saturday night, coach Doc Rivers decided that Pierce would spend an extra evening in New York.

And when Kevin Garnett left the win over the Nets after a 21-point, 12-rebound performance, Rivers decided that Garnett, too, deserved another night in Manhattan.

With Ray Allen already ruled out with a sore right ankle, it seemed the Celtics might be facing a tough task Sunday night without their Big Three against the Bobcats at Time Warner Cable Arena.

But with Brandon Bass and Avery Bradley each scoring 22 points and Rajon Rondo adding 20 points and 16 assists, Boston prevailed, 94-82.

Pierce and Garnett stayed at the team’s hotel in New York, where the Celtics returned early Monday morning in preparation for Tuesday’s game with the Knicks. Allen, who was rehabilitating his sore right ankle in Boston, remains “50-50’’ to play against the Knicks, according to Rivers.

With five games left in the season and three games in four nights beginning Tuesday, Rivers wanted to give his veterans a night off. The hope had been for Allen to be available but his ankle has been slow to recover.

“When Paul hurt his foot toward the end of the game, that pretty much took care of Paul,’’ Rivers said. “Having all three out [was not the plan] and it obviously hurts our offense.’’

Pierce’s left foot is not a concern, according to Rivers.

“Whenever you jam your toes, you don’t want that going down the bad road,’’ the coach said. “Right when he did I had made up my mind, he was not playing [Sunday]. Rest is key, it’s the whole key.

“I’ve said it a hundred times, what I don’t like about this season is some of the games have been decided by endurance. It has nothing to do with who’s the better team on given nights; that should never happen. We signed up for it, it’s not like we didn’t know it.’’