Pierce expects to play
Paul Pierce doesn’t expect to miss any time with the lower back strain he sustained in the first quarter of tonight’s game.
“The back’s a little sore,” said Pierce. “Obviously I took a hard hit in the first quarter. I’ll get some treatment, rest it up for the next couple of days, and I think it should be fine.”
Pierce was fouled hard by Atlanta’s Joe Johnson and went to the locker room to receive treatment from the Celtics medical staff. Pierce started the second half for the Celtics and played 28 minutes in the game.
“I jumped right up to see how I felt,” said Pierce. “When I got to halfcourt I felt a little pain in the back. Just take your lumps and bruises in the playoffs and move on.”
Pierce said he wasn’t bothered by the hard foul.
“Not really,” he said. “I understand, that’s what the playoffs is all about. You’ve just got to be ready for people to be physical with you when you get inside the paint.
“I don’t know what they’re trying to do. They’re trying to play physical, they’re trying to do what they can to get a win, just like we are. So I don’t think there’s anything illegal or dirty about the play.”
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