Pierce, Garnett Both Out For Celtics Friday vs. Heat
BOSTON (CBS) - The Boston Celtics will be without their two veteran leaders Friday night when they take on the Miami Heat.
But with the playoffs around the corner, a little rest for aging stars isn't a bad thing.
Both Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett will have Friday night off to rest their left ankles, the team revealed on Thursday. Both players did travel with the team though, so it's likely they'll be back in the lineup -- or at least one of them will be -- Saturday night against the Magic in Orlando.
Garnett recently missed eight games due to inflammation in his left ankle, and Pierce sat out a pair of games last week to rest his ailing ankle.
Stats: NBA Standings
At the moment, it's not clear if Miami's trio of stars, LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, will play against Boston. All three sat Wednesday night against the Washington Wizards, and with Miami already clinching the top seed in the East they have little to play for.
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The Celtics on the other hand remain in the seventh seed in the East -- currently looking at a first-round matchup with the New York Knicks -- three games up on the Milwaukee Bucks with four games to go. Boston is 3 1/2 games behind the Atlanta Hawks and Chicago Bulls, who are tied for the fifth and sixth seeds in the East.
