Celtics captain Paul Pierce was on the parquet at 6:10 p.m. shooting jump shots from just inside the three-point line. Pierce was not wearing a walking boot and did not have any other protective device visible above the tops of his sneakers. Pierce did not elevate to full height on the shots, but both feet were off the ground while shooting.

Pierce also played a brief game of one-on-one with Wally Szczerbiak, taking it to the hole at half-speed four times. Pierce missed all four shot attempts, but joked with Wally after one crossover, “Watch this lane open up.”

Pierce then went around the arc on three-pointers, making 10 from each spot before moving on. He seemed more comfortable with shots from the corner, and even made a few shots with token pressure from Celtics assistant coach Clifford Ray.

The captain was in good spirits, joking with teammates and reporters alike. He yelled to FSN’s Greg Dickerson, who was wearing a bright pink shirt, “I can’t see the (darn) basket. Get him off the court.”

There is still no timetable for Pierce's return, but Celtics coach Doc Rivers said before the game Pierce was improving.

“He’s feeling much better,” said Celtics coach Doc Rivers. “This is not from doctors, this is just from him. He’s able to put full pressure on his foot and doesn’t feel anything anymore.”

Rivers was asked when he thought Pierce would be back.

“I don’t know those answers,” he said. “I’m hoping soon. Just from hearing him talk today it sounds promising.”