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PHILADELPHIA -- One of the secrets to Paul Pierce's offensive success in Wednesday's Game 3 win? Whenever No. 9 wasn't in front of him, Pierce attacked.

According to ESPN Stats and Info, Pierce was a mere 1-of-5 shooting when guarded by Philadelphia's Andre Iguodala on Wednesday (and is now just 5 for 20 for the series). But only one of Pierce's attempts against Iguodala came after the first quarter and Pierce seemed to attack whenever he didn't have Philly's smothering swingman impeding his path.

Pierce didn't have a particularly strong shooting night (6 of 17 overall), but still got to the line 14 times (making 11 freebies) as part of a 24-point outburst. A glance at the Iguodala defense numbers:



It's worth noting that Pierce did draw two shooting fouls on Iguodala, including a three-shot foul midway through the third quarter that aided Boston's ability to pull away. Plus, Pierce's renewed aggression going at the rim left the 76ers scrambling to rotate with help when he got past Iguodala.

For his part, Pierce said, "Whether I shot the ball well or not, everything I was going to do was being with aggression."

The Celtics need more of that aggressive Pierce moving forward to sustain that sort of offensive production.

PHILADELPHIA -- The cynic will wonder if maybe Celtics coach Doc Rivers was just baiting us all. Or maybe he was just trying to use a little reverse psychology on his captain. Either way, during Boston's morning shootaround on Wednesday, Rivers openly acknowledged how Paul Pierce could rarely get himself open while battling a sprained MCL in his left knee and suggested the Celtics might have to alter their offense to get him more clean looks.

Seven hours later, Pierce, ever the gamer, went out on the floor and seemingly willed himself to his best effort since sustaining the injury earlier this month, putting up 24 points, 12 rebounds, four assists and three steals over 36:34 as part of the Celtics' 107-91 thrashing of the 76ers in Game 3 of an Eastern Conference semifinal series at Wells Fargo Arena.

"Paul is just a grinder," said Rivers. "He really is. You look at him at times and you wonder, 'How is this guy getting open?' He just has great fundamentals. He never does it with speed. He just knows how to play basketball. He's a throwback guy, that he knows how to play basketball. We jokingly call him our 'professional scorer' and that's what he is in a lot of ways. But, again, with him you could see early on, he missed layups, had no lift, and then all of a sudden he dunked the ball down the lane, he gets five offensive rebounds. I think guys like Paul and the Kobe [Bryants,] they have something in their minds that just make them who they are."

Here's all you need to know: Pierce has already grown tired of the question about his knee. Not one to pin his troubles on an ailment, he's noted after each of the last two games that he's fine, barking after Wednesday's win that "I've felt good all series."

That's a half-truth from the Truth. He's felt good enough to play all series, but he's clearly not feeling good. That bum knee has prevented him from having his natural explosion, leaving him a step slow, all while being hounded by (or having to hound) Andre Iguodala. Pierce seemingly compensated on Wednesday with desire.

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PHILADELPHIA -- With Celtics captain Paul Pierce playing on one leg, Boston need someone else to deliver in the clutch in this Eastern Conference semifinal series against the Philadelphia 76ers:

Grantland.com's Bill Simmons puts Paul Pierce in the spotlight after his part in Boston's Game 6 triumph over the Atlanta Hawks in an Eastern Conference first-round series Thursday night:

Of course, it's not officially a fun Paul Pierce postseason until he's playing hurt. Pierce tweaked his knee during a Sunday walk-around, then exacerbated it during that night's Game 4 and sprained his MCL. Random coincidence: I sprained my MCL last summer playing hoops, didn't realize it and played a couple more times before realizing something was seriously wrong. (I thought I had just tweaked it.) What's weird about sprained MCLs is that you can play at about 70 percent speed (as long as you have a brace), but you're always thinking about it, you can't plant hard on it, you can't really move laterally, and you're constantly worried your knee might cave on you. The only way it heals? By resting and not playing. (Which is what I eventually did. And by the way, I'm older and significantly less athletic than Pierce, to say the least.) Of course, Pierce didn't have that luxury, so he played at 70 percent in Game 5 (air balling the potential winning shot) and 70 percent in Game 6, if only because 70 percent of Paul Pierce is better than 300 percent of Marquis Daniels or Sasha Pavlovic.

Which is what made the following moment so great …

Trailing by three in the final 90 seconds of Game 6, with a petrifying Game 7 in Atlanta looming, Pierce (trapped in the left corner) rolled the dice for one play, drove hard along the baseline to the basket, up-faked Johnson and somehow willed the ball through the hoop, keeping Boston alive and setting up everything that happened next (Josh Smith's horrific 20-footer, Kevin Garnett's winning basket, Al Horford's missed free throw and a textbook Celtics escape).

We'll remember Game 6 for Kevin Garnett's vintage KG performance, and maybe even for Josh Smith turning into Josh Smith at the worst possible time. Just don't forget that Pierce layup. It was a great play by a very good player, the kind of moment that sets him apart from just about everybody who ever played basketball for a living. I will remember watching you, Paul Pierce.

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BOSTON -- Celtics coach Doc Rivers said that Paul Pierce will attempt to play through the pain of a sprained MCL in his left knee, but is uncertain how the team will compensate if it continues to be a hindrance to the team captain.

"Honestly, it’s not the best situation, but he’s going to play," said Rivers. "We just gotta figure out what he can do on the floor. It’s tough. He’s a scorer, and I think Paul can score in any situation, but for us, we just have to figure out what the most effective way for him to be effective. And the only way we’re going to know that is with the game being played. So we’ll see."

Pierce suffered the injury on Sunday after tripping over a teammate's foot in a shootaround before Game 4, then aggravated the ailment while banging knees with Josh Smith that same night. Pierce played through pain to score 24 points over 16½ minutes in Game 4, but really labored after the first quarter in Game 5. Rivers admitted the knee hasn't shown much improvement since then.

"He said he had a little more life, just energy wise, but the knee feels the same way," said Rivers.

And Rivers admitted it could get worse.

"There’s always that possibility -- when you sprain anything, especially a knee, the possibility that it could get worse is absolutely there," said Rivers.

Pierce wasn't able to get to the basket in Tuesday's Game 5 loss and that prevented him, too, from getting to the free throw line. Rivers said the team has to find other ways to generate scoring if Pierce is limited again.

"Well, he’s not going to get to the line as much, we know that, that’s just what it is," said Rivers. "So we have to create other ways -- get Kevin (Garnett) in the post more, (but) they are trapping him more, so it’s tough for him to get to the line as well. But (Pierce's injury) clearly takes something away from us, and we just have to find other ways to score."

A few more notes from pregame:

* Hawks coach Larry Drew said injured center Zaza Pachulia (sprained left foot) went through shootaround Thursday, but will not play in Game 6.

* When the Hawks shifted their lineup before Game 5 to move Joe Johnson to shooting guard, Rivers considered countering to negate the height advantage Johnson owns over Avery Bradley, but elected not to, in part to maintain Bradley's confidence as a starter. "We thought about it, but Avery’s a young kid, even if we have to make a move early, we’d rather do that than take him out of the lineup," said Rivers.

* Rivers said he wasn't certain what was causing Mickael Pietrus' shooting woes in this opening-round series. "I really don’t know. We need him, we need him to play well tonight," said Rivers. "I don’t know if (injuries are) the reason. Shots are just not going in right now. I think when your shot doesn’t go in and you’re not (an elite) player, your confidence obviously struggles a little bit. I think he’s going through that some as well."

* Rivers on using more Ryan Hollins than rookie Greg Stiemsma at center in recent games: "(Hollins) is playing better; It’s a competition. Always. And Ryan is playing terrific for us. Ryan’s minutes, on the floor with Kevin, are unbelievable. When you put him and Kevin on the floor at the same time, that’s our best defensive team. That’s good for us."

ATLANTA -- Celtics captain Paul Pierce tried to downplay how much his ailing left knee affected his play during Tuesday's 87-86 loss to the Hawks in Game 5 of an Eastern Conference first-round series at Philips Arena, but couldn't help but admit he was a step slow.

Pierce labored at times, connecting on 7 of 17 shots overall, while posting 16 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists, and 3 steals over 36 minutes of play. Pierce also committed 3 turnovers and airballed a late-game jumper with a chance to put Boston out front in the final seconds.

"I don’t really think it bothered me too much," said Pierce. "I didn’t really try to think about it. I probably was a little step slower, I didn't have my usual lift that I usually do. But I don’t think it really affected me, too much. I mean, I’m not a high-riser anyway."

Pierce connected on 4 of 6 shots for 9 points in the first quarter, but went cold soon after checking out following an eight-minute stint. Returning for 11 minutes in the second quarter, Pierce missed all four shots he took while going scoreless in the the frame. Pierce made just 1 of 3 shots in the third quarter for 2 points over nine minutes.

The Celtics made their run to get back into the game with Pierce off the floor and seemed to give it back when he checked in with seven minutes to go in the fourth quarter. Even still, Pierce chipped in 5 points on 2 of 4 shooting in the final frame, hitting two big buckets over the final 3:16, including a 26-foot 3-pointer with 50.6 seconds to go for the game's final points.

"There's nights like Sunday when Paul makes all of his shots, and then there's nights like tonight when he and I had low field goal percentages," shrugged point guard Rajon Rondo, who admitted shots just didn't fall for the duo on this night. "We'll take those shots any day."

BOSTON -- Boston Celtics captain Paul Pierce suffered a left knee injury during shootaround on Sunday, which initially left his status unclear for Game 4 of an Eastern Conference quarterfinal series against the Atlanta Hawks

Pierce was able to suit up, only to aggravate the injury in the first half. He admitted his status moving forward is uncertain, though he hopes to play in Game 5 in Atlanta on Tuesday.

Pierce admitted his knee felt "sore" and "tender" after the Celtics posted a 101-79 triumph over the Hawks at TD Garden. He played a mere 16 minutes, 37 seconds, but chipped in a game-high 24 points on 10-of-13 shooting to spearhead Boston's offensive outburst.

The Celtics lead the best-of-seven Eastern Conference quarterfinal series 3 games to 1.

"I kinda sprained it this morning, then I aggravated it today in the game," said Pierce. "I’m glad we were able to get a win like this, give me some rest. We'll get me a couple days off, I can get some treatment and hopefully it feels good on Tuesday."

Boston engaged in a light walk-through Sunday morning, but still nearly lost Pierce. He then aggravated the injury when he banged knees with Atlanta's Josh Smith with 5:45 to play in the first half. He returned to play the first 3½ minutes of the third quarter and helped Boston open a 35-point lead before calling it a night. Pierce spent some time on the exercise bike courtside, then returned to the locker room in the fourth quarter for treatment.

"I kind of tripped over someone’s foot, turned the knee [in shootaround]," said Pierce. "I had to sit around the last half of shootaround and, tonight, I just kind of re-aggravated it when I came up off the double screen with Josh Smith there. It’s a little bit sore right now, so Doc just wanted to take precautions tonight, especially when we had such a big lead. That allowed me to go back in the fourth quarter, get treatment and rest for the next couple days."

Rivers admitted that when he left the shootaround, he wasn't certain the team would have Pierce.

"When I left shootaround, I probably thought he was not going to play," said Rivers. "And [team trainer] Eddie [Lacerte] said, ‘Let’s see, let’s give it a try, and see how he feels.’ I talked to [Pierce] right before the game, I asked him, ‘What do you think?’ And he said, ‘Well let me just try to warm it up and see how I feel.’

"It’s amazing. I mean, honestly, guys around the league [getting injured]. He was just dribbling the ball and went to the floor in shootaround. And I was thinking, ‘What more can you [endure]?’ We were walking. That’s how you felt, like, 'My gosh!' And, honestly, when he went down, it didn’t look good. So the fact that he could come in and play, and then play the way he played was great."

Asked about Pierce's status for Game 5, Rivers said the team will take a wait-and-see approach.

"I have no idea," said Rivers. "With a couple of guys, actually three of them, we literally don’t know. So we’ll find out.”

Rivers was likely referring to Pierce, Ray Allen (ankle), and Avery Bradley (shoulder), who were all essentially game-time decisions based on their ailments heading into Game 4.

BOSTON -- At this point, Paul Pierce is probably ready to sleep up until the opening tip of Sunday's Game 4 between the Celtics and Hawks.

Just three days after tweeting about the need for a bed in the aftermath of a 44-minute outing in Game 2 (in which he registered 36 points and 14 rebounds), Pierce was forced to go for 47 minutes in Friday's 90-84 overtime victory in Game 3.

And while he didn't come through with a monster double-double in this one -- he finished with a modest 21 points and five rebounds, missing a chance to win the game in the final seconds of regulation -- he might have exerted even more effort in what turned out to be an uglier, grind-it-out, workman-like performance.

His shot total shrank from 26 on Tuesday to just 12 on Friday, largely due to the return of both Rajon Rondo and Ray Allen, and he struggled to find any semblance of rhythm on offense, hitting just three shots on the evening.

But despite those struggles, Pierce still managed to be Pierce in two distinct ways: For the second consecutive game he got to the free throw line more than 10 times -- he finished a perfect 14-for-14 from the charity stripe -- and he overcame his earlier shooting woes with a fading jumper from the free throw line with just under three minutes to go in overtime, giving the Celtics a 4-point edge.

"Sometimes that's what it's got to be," Pierce said of getting to the line consistently. "Every night it's not going to be your night. Obviously, the dynamics of the system change when you add Rondo and you add Ray, so the shots that I got last game probably weren't going to be there. I didn't expect to get 26 shots up tonight. Sometimes it's tough to get a rhythm, but you have other guys who can step up. I did my part. That's what's most important. I don't care about the shots or the touches. It's about me doing my part and helping this ballclub win."

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ESPN Boston's Jackie MacMullan sits down with Celtics captain Paul Pierce to discuss the shortened season, the constant trade rumors, and if this is the last dance for Boston's core:

WALTHAM, Mass. -- Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett have each sat out two of the last four games simply to get some rest. Doc Rivers indicated Monday that the two might also miss one of the last two regular-season games. He wouldn’t elaborate.

Rivers consistently has said that he values “rest and rhythm” over any fight to get past Atlanta and have homecourt advantage in the first round of the playoffs. The Celtics currently trail the Hawks by one game, but hold the tie-breaker should the teams finish with identical records.

“It’d be nice to get," Rivers said, when asked about homecourt. “We’ve got two games left and we’re trying to win them both. Then we’ll see what happens.”

The Celtics’ remaining games, both at home, are against Miami (Tuesday) and Milwaukee (Thursday). The Hawks' two remaining games are against the LA Clippers (Tuesday) and the Dallas Mavericks (Thursday). Both of those games are in Atlanta.

Pierce said he was happy to have made it through this difficult season injury-free after missing the first three games with a bruised right heel. The other two games he has missed have been for rest.

“I feel great. When I look back at the season, all you can say is you got through it," he said. “There were a lot of complaints about the schedule, about the travel, the back-to-backs, the three games in a row. But I think I was able to hold up for the most part other than at the beginning of the year on an injury that happened before the season. I’m glad I made it through the season knowing that a lot of guys, a lot of key players, were injured. I’m happy for that.”

Celtics captain Paul Pierce has scored 40 points or more in his career 23 times (including three times in the playoffs). But Tuesday's 43-point effort in a loss to the Knicks was remarkable, not only for being the first regular-season 40-plus effort of the Big Three era, but because of how few shots Pierce needed to accomplish the feat.

Pierce connected on 11 of 19 shots (4 of 6 beyond the arc) on the night and was aided by 17-of-18 shooting at the charity stripe. The 19 field goal attempts matched a career low in a 40-point game (Pierce was 14 of 19 for 40 points vs. Detroit in February 2001 and 13 of 19 for 42 points vs. the Lakers a month later).

You'd have to go all the way back to Feb. 15, 2006 for the last time a Celtics player had a 40-point scorer in the regular season. Celtics radio play-by-play man Sean Grande noted that the Celtics had gone 501 regular-season games without a 40-point scorer.

After the game, Pierce seemed more concerned about Boston's lack of defense than his offensive exploits, telling reporters, "We didn't defend the 3 at all tonight. We dug ourselves a huge hole that we couldn't climb out of."

BOSTON -- Celtics coach Doc Rivers liked just about everything about the final play of Wednesday's game -- except the fact that the shot didn't go in.

Boston got the look it wanted when Tim Duncan switched onto Paul Pierce off a pick-and-roll, but Pierce's step-back jumper at the free throw line found back iron as the Spurs escaped with an 87-86 triumph at TD Garden.

"Listen, Paul Pierce taking a step-back at the [free throw line], that's not a bad option," said Rivers. "I just wish we could have done it a bit earlier."

The Celtics were down 4 with 46.5 seconds to play, but Ray Allen -- back after a six-game absence due to a sore right ankle -- hit a quick 3-pointer and Boston came up with a stop at the other end of the floor to set up a chance to win the game.

Boston didn't make particularly good use of the clock, scrambling to call a 20-second timeout with 7.9 seconds remaining after Garnett initially hauled in the Spurs' miss with 15.9 seconds to go. Even still, Boston got the ball into Pierce's hands (off a little screen from Rajon Rondo) and forced San Antonio to switch when Garnett came out to run the pick-and-roll.

Pierce, the newly minted Eastern Conference Player of the Month, had a chance to drive with a little more than 5 seconds on the clock, but seemed leery given that San Antonio had both a foul to give and Manu Ginobili was cheating toward the lane as Pierce started driving right. Pierce ultimately reset and came back to the middle of the court, getting the shot up over Duncan, but it was just a little long.

"I was trying to make the shot," said Pierce. "I got the switch on the big man, got to a good place -- I just missed the shot.”

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BOSTON -- The honors just keep rolling in for Celtics captain Paul Pierce.

Two days after being named Eastern Conference Player of the Week for the final days of March, Pierce hauled in the honor for the entire calendar month after guiding the Celtics to a 12-5 stretch (second best in the Eastern Conference behind only Chicago) and averaging 22.3 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 3.6 assists per agme.

Pierce recorded six games of 25+ points during the month, including putting up a season-high 36 points (to go along with 10 rebounds and 3 blocks) against Charlotte last week. Along the way, Pierce also appeared in his 1,000th game with the Celtics (becoming only the 16th player to accomplish that feat for a single franchise, according to the NBA).

“Maybe just a testament to the hard work I put in day in and day out," Pierce said when asked what the honor meant to him. "Consistency over the years, over the season; great teammates giving me these opportunities. It's tough when you have so many great players in the Eastern Conference, to have it for a whole month, it’s a good honor.”

Celtics teammate Kevin Garnett was also nominated for the honor (though Rajon Rondo, curiously, was not despite his assist-happy efforts). Oklahoma City's Kevin Durant took home the honor for the Western Conference.

Pierce has twice been named the Eastern Conference Player of the Week this season (Rondo earned it once for Boston as well). This is the team's first monthly honor for the 2011-12 campaign.

Celtics captain Paul Pierce has been named the Eastern Conference Player of the Week.

Pierce averaged 25 points, 8 rebounds, and 2.5 assists while guiding Boston to a four-win week (topping Charlotte, Utah, Minnesota, and Miami). Pierce scored a season-high 36 points while adding 10 rebounds in a 102-95 triumph over the Bobcats, then capped his week with a team-high 23 points in a 91-72 triumph over the Heat.

A snapshot of his week, courtesy of the NBA:

March 26 @ Charlotte: Scored a season-high 36 points, to go with 10 rebounds in a 102-95 win over the Bobcats.
March 30 @ Minnesota: Tallied 21 points, nine rebounds and two assists in a 100-79 win over the Timberwolves.
April 1 vs. Miami: Poured in a team-high 23 points, and added seven rebounds, three assists and two steals in a 91-72 victory over the Heat.

Celtics teammate Kevin Garnett was also nominated for the Player of the Week honor. Los Angeles Clippers guard Chris Paul won for the Western Conference.

This is the second Player of the Week honor for Pierce this season. He also won it for the first week of February.

BOSTON -- It's easy to forget now, given how much time has passed, that Paul Pierce didn't play when the Celtics and Heat met for the first time this season. Back on Dec. 27, in just the second game of the season, the C's stumbled in South Beach while Pierce nursed a heel injury. And, had the situation been identical on Sunday, the result would have also probably been the same.

Instead, Pierce played, and the Celtics emerged with a convincing 91-72 decision over Miami at TD Garden.

Of course Pierce isn't the sole reason why the Celtics were able to extend their winning streak to five games and come away with arguably their most substantial victory of the season. Rajon Rondo produced another triple-double in front of a national television audience (16 points, 11 rebounds, 14 assists), Avery Bradley chipped in 13 points and played terrific defense on Dwyane Wade, and Kevin Garnett and Brandon Bass combined for 26 points and 18 rebounds. But it was Pierce who continued to be the model of offensive consistency, producing 23 points on 8-of-17 shooting, to go along with seven rebounds, while being matched up against two of the league's premiere perimeter defenders in LeBron James and Shane Battier.

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