Pierce and Perkins, will they play?
NBA Obsessed takes you into the hit and run game of NBA Basketball.
Can Paul Pierce take his injured knee and guard Kobe Bryant and still score points?
Image details: NBA Finals Game 1: Los Angeles Lakers v Boston Celtics served by picapp.com
Doc Rivers is cautiously optimistic about his two injured starters.
Pierce (sprained right knee) and Perkins (sprained left ankle) spent much of the media-access portion of practice riding stationary bikes, and coach Doc Rivers indicated he was more optimistic about Pierce’s chances of playing against the Lakers than he was about Perkins’s, even though the fifth-year center said he figured to be about 75-80 percent.
“There’s still aching in it right now, but it’s all right,” Perkins said of his ankle.
As for Pierce? “The swelling is down a little,” he said, after showing up at a news conference wearing a multilayered sleeve on his knee. “Still some stiffness, can’t quite all the way bend it like I want to, but it’s definitely a step forward.”
source
In a classic, don’t say what you want to say comment, Derek Fisher of the Lakers had this to say about Paul Pierce.
“It obviously changes their personnel,” said Lakers guard Derek Fisher. “Paul is a very talented player. He’s their go-to guy in a lot of situations, so, for whatever reason, if he doesn’t play, then a lot of things change. It doesn’t mean that they’re any worse.
“I mean, they went on a 6-0 run while he was out, so I was pretty happy to see him come back,” Fisher added. “We played them pretty even after that, but that 6-point difference after he left continued to change the momentum of the game.”
If either Perkins of Pierce are missing for game two, the Celtics are a considerably weaker team. The pressure would be on Kevin Garnett, big time, to score and rebound. Who would guard Kobe Bryant? Sam Posey? Who would keep Gasol off the boards?
Even if they do come back, how effective will Paul Pierce and Kendrick Perkins be?
Coach Rivers will remain cautiously optimistic!
As always, any NBA Basketball related comments are welcome.
More blogs about basketball.
Related Stories
POSTED IN: Boston Celtics, Injuries, Kevin Garnett, Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers, Pau Gasol, Paul Pierce, Ray Allen
2 opinions for Pierce and Perkins, will they play?
Lee - California
Jun 8, 2008 at 6:04 pm
In my opinon as with out NBA fans, I’m sure believe Pierce, and Perkins, espeically Pierce were faking Injuries in last weeks game. I feel to break the Lakers drive and come back. How do you fall down (after the Lakers start scoring more accurately), in pain, placed in a wheel chair, carried off the field, then minutes later return to the game, skipping and bouncing on you knees to re-enter the game like nothing ever happened. I think it was planned should the Lakers start a drive to break the momentum. No one return with an Injury even slight, minutes later bouncing up and down, skipping, immediately return, lay-ups, shooting from the outside, and defending without some limited motion. No drug works that quick. They faked out the referees, and the Lakers. I think the commish should look at the film footage and decided for himself. Then Perkins goes out shortly later, also to return. We feel Perkins decision was due to his low scoring, and foul trouble. What do you think? A California fan, who believes in fair play for both east and west.
Dr. J-Water
Jun 8, 2008 at 6:15 pm
We just heard over here from a friend of the Celts trainer that they are both playing tonight, and that Perkins wants to log his normal minutes. Apparently he requested to play through his injury because he understands how hard it is to get to the Finals, and doesn’t want to regret not playing tonight. Hopefully he doesn’t risk getting injured further by playing.
Dr. J-Water
Have an opinion? Leave a comment: