Sore elbow shouldn't slow Pierce

WALTHAM -- Paul Pierce has been diagnosed with bursitis in his left elbow, and he had it drained Monday. On the Celtics' recent road trip, a lump appeared on the elbow, about half the size of a golf ball, and Pierce wore a pad during games.

Yesterday, Pierce sat on the sideline and watched the Celtics practice with his elbow wrapped in an Ace bandage. He expects to play tonight vs. Miami.

''It's a little sore, but it shouldn't be a problem," he said.

Despite the bursitis, Pierce managed to average more points per game in February than any other NBA player. Obviously, that required hoisting a lot of shots and driving to the basket -- not the best things for a sore elbow.

But don't expect Pierce to take it easy. As he goes, so goes the team. No one is more aware of that than the captain himself. Plus, he has made a career out of being durable. Pierce has said many times that it would take a broken leg or broken hand to keep him out of the lineup.

As the Celtics start their most difficult and crucial month of the season, they are literally, but not figuratively, limping along. Of the five regular starters (Pierce, Delonte West, Wally Szczerbiak, Kendrick Perkins, and Raef LaFrentz), only West has remained injury-free of late.

Szczerbiak continues to nurse a sore left knee and did not go hard in practice. LaFrentz sported a nice shiner above his left eye as the result of some contact against the Lakers. Perkins did not receive clearance to practice from the team medical staff, and will miss another week or two with a dislocated left shoulder.

''Going out West, it's never easy to come back 3-1 and to be in all four games," said coach Doc Rivers. ''With the injuries we've had, you really have to be happy about it. Our guys played hard every night. They executed extremely well and played together."

Rivers hopes to see the same tonight when Boston plays Miami at the TD Banknorth Garden. But to have aching players at their best, the coach knows, he must give them rest. That was the case for Szczerbiak yesterday. Rivers noted that he looked slower than usual.

''That knee is so temperamental right now," said Rivers. ''I was looking around in practice and I said, 'We're going up and down with Wally on the floor. I don't think it's the smartest thing to do.' It has bothered him, and it is a concern, but I do think he'll be able to make it through the season [without surgery]."

There was some good news on the injury front. Maybe. Al Jefferson, who has missed nine games after spraining his right ankle against the Clippers Feb. 3, participated for ''basically the whole practice" according to Rivers. Jefferson put his chances at ''50-50" of playing tonight.

''It feels a little sore, but it's pain I can play through," said Jefferson. ''If it's not that sore, then it depends on how Doc feels. It feels real good to be out there, to get yelled at. I haven't been yelled at in a long time.

''I doubt it would be a whole lot of minutes if I do play because I'm trying to get my conditioning back. Against Shaq, I don't know. Shaq is known to foul a lot of people out."

The Celtics will welcome back Antoine Walker tonight for the first time since the power forward joined the Heat. ''He should be [the story]," said Rivers. ''He deserves it. He played great here, twice. He got them to the Eastern Conference finals. Last year, without him, I don't think we make the playoffs. [Fans] should cheer him when he comes into the game. Then, they should hope he plays horrible because that's what we need him to do." . . . While Rivers believes Walker should be the story, Shaquille O'Neal and Dwyane Wade cannot be ignored. ''Dealing with Shaq," said Rivers, ''I don't know if you do deal with him. You kind of withstand him. Wade right now is in the top five players in the league the way he's playing. He's a tough matchup for us because of his quickness at his position." . . . When Rivers was asked where Ryan Gomes was earlier in the season, the coach said, ''He was on the bench. Blame me. I didn't play him."