They're a little out of joint
CHICAGO -- Paul Pierce (bruised right elbow) and Wally Szczerbiak (sprained left ankle) said their injuries improved overnight, but they are still considered day-to-day. It is uncertain whether they will play tomorrow night against the Bulls, though it sounds as though Pierce will be in the lineup.
"Paul is going to play, I'm pretty sure," said coach Doc Rivers. "But it's going to limit him. It limited him the other night. He had three point-blank looks and he didn't even look [at taking a shot]. He said, 'I didn't think I could make it reach.' He can help us in other ways.
"Wally, I just don't know about. I wouldn't be shocked to see him playing, but I wouldn't be shocked if he didn't. It's probably 50-50."
Pierce plans to practice today, wearing a pad over his elbow. He sat out yesterday, but said that if it were his decision, he would play tomorrow. When asked whose decision it was, he said, "It's going to be up to me."
Still, Pierce does not want this to become a lingering problem, as his left elbow did last season, requiring surgery in August.
"It's a lot better," said Pierce. "The swelling went down, but it's still sore. I'll practice with a sleeve and find out how it works."
Szczerbiak said it was "up in the air" as to whether he would play.
"It's swollen," said Szczerbiak. "It's better than it was [Friday] night, better than the throbbing pain I had when I was waking up in the middle of the night. It's not as bad as it could have been, which is good news. We're going to treat it like an ankle sprain and hopefully it continues to react day by day."
"I'd be surprised if Perk makes it through this [without missing a game]," said Rivers. "I just think at some point he's going to have to take a break. Friday night, he was laboring. It would kill us because we'd have Al [Jefferson] as our center. But it might be better for Perk. It might be better for Al to know that's what he's got to play."
At a time when the Celtics are looking for physical and mental toughness on defense, it would hurt to lose Perkins.
Shira Springer can be reached at springer@globe.com. 
