Pierce day-to-day with sprain
Boston Celtics forward Paul Pierce(notes) has a left midfoot sprain and could be back playing as early as Wednesday, team sources told Yahoo! Sports.
The news thrilled Celtics officials and capped a nervous afternoon that included an NBA.com report that stated Pierce might have broken his foot during Monday's victory over the Washington Wizards.
Team officials were legitimately concerned Pierce had indeed suffered a break before all of the Celtics' medical staff had a chance to evaluate the test results Tuesday night. Tough they remained hopeful Pierce would be diagnosed with a sprain, they also initially figured he would be sidelined through the All-Star break.
The Celtics now think Pierce will play Sunday against the Orlando Magic – at the latest.
"I assume he won't play [against the Miami Heat on Wednesday]," one source said. "But he should be back by the weekend."
The Celtics could use some good news, considering how hard they've been hit by injuries. Pierce was sidelined five games earlier in the season after having his right knee drained. Kevin Garnett(notes), Marquis Daniels(notes) and Glen Davis(notes) have also missed substantial time because of injuries.
“That would be a big loss,” Celtics point guard Rajon Rondo(notes) said. “He’s our bread and butter. We just got K.G. back, but it always seems to be something with us.
“That’s the NBA, though. It’s the story of our season.”
