Paul Pierce Out Two Weeks Following Knee Surgery

Filed under: Celtics, NBA Injuries

Until Kevin Garnett missed Tuesday's game with a bruised right thigh, the Boston Celtics used the same starting lineup for its first 26 games, and at 22-5, boasts the best record in the East and a 10 ½-game lead in their division. Winners of 13 of their last 14, the Celtics appear to have all the momentum in the world. But ... how long will it last?



Even though Garnett's injury doesn't appear to be serious -- he's officially a game-time decision for Friday's game in Orlando -- the team made the surprising announcement today that Paul Pierce would miss the next two weeks following minor knee surgery. Pierce played in Tuesday's win over the Pacers, scoring 21 points with six boards, but complained Wednesday morning of soreness in the knee, which was eventually traced to an infection.



"Paul felt fine after the game," Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge told the Boston Globe. "He felt great. A few hours later there was swelling and pain, and so they put him through some tests this morning. Then, they went in and they felt like they needed to clean out the infection. It's nothing structural, and it's a guess, but they are saying two weeks."



To take Pierce's place on the roster, the Celtics called up Bill Walker, who had been averaging 17.4 points and 6.4 rebounds over nine games for the D-League's Maine Red Claws. With Marquis Daniels still recovering from a broken thumb, Walker might actually see some action over the next couple of weeks.



The Celtics play six games over the next two weeks, kicking off a four-game road trip with a Christmas Day game in Orlando. The Magic are only a game behind the Celtics in the East, so even though it's early in the season, this game very well might have seeding implications come playoff time. Fortunately for Boston, the middle portion of the trip won't be quite as difficult, with games against the Clippers (12-16) and Warriors (7-20). The final game, in Phoenix against the Suns (18-10) on Dec. 30, won't be easy, but at least there's a good chance Garnett will be at full strength.

 

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Full story at http://nba.fanhouse.com/2009/12/23/paul-pierce-sidelined-two-weeks-following-knee-surgery/