Skip to main content
Come Fan with UsFriday, June 26, 2026

Paul Pierce injury: Celtics’ star turned ankle, will sit vs. Timberwolves

Celtics star Paul Pierce will probably sit against the Timberwolves on Monday due to a turned ankle suffered in Sunday’s loss to the Knicks.

Elsa

Boston Celtics head coach Doc Rivers said Paul Pierce will likely sit out Monday night's game against the Minnesota Timberwolves due to a turned ankle, according to Baxter Holmes of the Boston Globe.

More on Pierce: CelticsBlog

Pierce turned the ankle in the first quarter of the Celtics' ugly 108-89 loss to the New York Knicks on Sunday night. Pierce stayed in the game, notching 24 points and a season-high 15 rebounds before leaving the blowout for good in the fourth quarter.

The injury does not appear to be a serious one, as Pierce said afterward that it was just "a little sore" and that it should not be much of a problem. Still, Rivers wants to make sure his star rests up and does not make the injury any worse, especially with all the issues the Celtics have had this season. Boston is already without Rajon Rondo and Jared Sullinger for the rest of the year, and both Kevin Garnett and Courtney Lee have been nursing injuries of late.

With the postseason rapidly approaching and the Celtics firmly in, resting Pierce on the second of a back-to-back a day after suffering the injury certainly seems like the right play.

More from SB Nation:

SB Nation’s Q&A with Al Horford

The Suns are terrible at pretending not to tank

Don’t compare the Heat to a team from 1972

Kobe gets away with game-changing foul | NBA admits mistake

The Celtics and their next generation GM

The best NBA draft prospects of March Madness

See More:

More in NBA

NBA
NBA Draft grades for all 30 teams’ full 2026 classNBA Draft grades for all 30 teams’ full 2026 class
NBA

Let’s grade every team’s full 2026 NBA draft class.

By Ricky O'Donnell
NBA
LaMelo Ball trade grades for Wolves, Hornets after shocking blockbuster dealLaMelo Ball trade grades for Wolves, Hornets after shocking blockbuster deal
NBA

Let’s trade the LaMelo Ball stunner for the Wolves and Hornets.

By James Dator
NBA
The biggest lessons from the Giannis Antetokounmpo trade sagaThe biggest lessons from the Giannis Antetokounmpo trade saga
NBA

The Bucks waited too long to trade Giannis, and other lessons from the NBA’s latest blockbuster.

By Oliver Fox
NBA
NBA Draft results: Pick-by-pick tracker for all 60 selections in 2026 classNBA Draft results: Pick-by-pick tracker for all 60 selections in 2026 class
NBA

Keeping track of every pick in the 2026 NBA Draft.

By Ricky O'Donnell
NBA
NBA Draft grades: 8 ‘A’ picks from 2026 first-roundNBA Draft grades: 8 ‘A’ picks from 2026 first-round
NBA

These teams nailed their picks in the first round.

By James Dator