Celtics' Pierce May Rest vs. Wolves With Sore Ankle
BOSTON (CBS) - You can add Paul Pierce to the now-lengthy list of the Boston Celtics walking wounded, though you can argue he was already a member.
Pierce may get Monday night's tilt in Minnesota against the Wolves off after sitting the final 13 minutes of Sunday night's loss to the Knicks with a sore right ankle.
Pierce finished the game with 24 points and 15 rebounds in just over 32 minutes of play, but was seen icing his ankle on the Celtics' bench late in the blowout loss.
Read: Celtics-Timberwolves Preview
After the game, Pierce didn't think the ankle would be an issue going forward, but with just nine games remaining in the regular season it would make sense to let the 35-year-old sit out the back-end of a back-to-back.
Head coach Doc Rivers hinted that Pierce would be getting plenty of rest in the coming weeks, and it would "probably" begin on Monday.
"We're going to give him a rest, we're going to sit him games, for sure," said Rivers. "Very soon."
In addition to the now sore ankle, Pierce has been battling a pinched nerve in his neck for most of the season. He still leads the Celtics though, averaging 18.8 points per game.
The Celtics are already without Kevin Garnett, who has sat the last five games nursing inflammation in his left ankle.
