Celtics F Pierce to miss next 2 weeks
December 23, 2009
BOSTON (AP)—Celtics forward Paul Pierce(notes) had fluid drained from his right kneeWednesday and will miss the next two weeks.
Pierce did not make the flight to Orlando for a Christmas Day game againstthe Magic, one day after Kevin Garnett(notes) missed his first game of the season witha thigh bruise. Instead, team doctor Brian McKeon drained fluid from Pierce’sknee at New England Baptist Hospital.
The Celtics are on a six-day, four-game road trip that will also take themto the Clippers, Golden State Warriors and Phoenix Suns before returning homefor a Jan. 2 game against Toronto.
Pierce could be back for the Jan. 6 game at Miami.
The 2008 NBA finals MVP had played in every game this season, leading theteam with an average of 18.2 points.
Celtics spokesman Jeff Twiss said Pierce complained of soreness in the kneeafter Tuesday night’s game, when he missed his first 10 shots against theIndiana Pacers but wound up scoring 21 points. Garnett missed that game, thefirst he’s missed this season.
The Celtics won their 17th NBA title in 2008—their first season withPierce, Garnett and Ray Allen(notes). But last year Garnett missed the end of theseason and the playoffs with strained knee ligaments, and the Celtics wereeliminated by the Magic in the conference semifinals.
With Garnett back in the lineup, Boston sped to the best record in theEastern Conference, 22-5, just one game behind the defending NBA champion LosAngeles Lakers for the best record in the league.