Paul Pierce to Remain Out for a While

According to the Celtics’ coach, don’t expect Pierce to suit up anytime soon: “Doc Rivers, taking a more cautious approach with Paul Pierce and his sprained right thumb, said tonight that the Celtics captain will miss ‘the next couple of games for sure,’ including tonight’s game against Cleveland. Marquis Daniels, heavily sniffling and draining fluids before the game due to a bad case of the flu, started in Pierce’s place and drew the unenviable assignment of guarding LeBron James. ‘Marquis is going to give us what he has. I didn’t want to tell him we need a warm body, because his body is warm. You never know. Sometimes those guys (who are sick) play great, so you don’t know what they are going to give you. (Paul’s hand) We just want to make sure it gets right. If it gets hit again then it will go on down the road, so we want him to play at the Paul level that we know.”‘