National Basketball Association

Pierce plans MRI on foot after poor shooting game

Published Feb. 13, 2011 10:48 p.m. ET

foxsports

Paul Pierce plans to have an MRI on his left foot Monday after the second worst shooting game of his career.

Pierce missed all 10 of his shots and scored one point in the Boston Celtics' 85-82 win over the Miami Heat on Sunday.

''I'm just battling a couple of minor injuries to my hand and my foot,'' he said. ''So I think that really explains my tentativeness and my off shooting today.''

Pierce said he sprained his right shooting hand in practice Saturday then was hit on it Sunday.

''With me playing the way I did and coming up with the win, that's big for us,'' he said.

His poor performance against the Heat was the first time in 1,038 games with the Celtics in the regular season and playoffs when he played more than 25 minutes and missed at least 10 shots. On March 2, 1999, Pierce went 0-for-11 from the field in 25 minutes and finished with two points. On Sunday, he played 39 minutes, 35 seconds.

It was the fourth game in which he didn't score a field goal. The last time was Dec. 13, 2000, when he went 0 for 7 with nine points in 31 minutes against the Chicago Bulls.

The injuries are the latest in a string of health problems for the Celtics. Swingman Marquis Daniels is out indefinitely after bruising his spine during a 91-80 win over Orlando on Feb. 6. Backup guard Nate Robinson bruised his right knee in a 92-86 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday night and played just 4:45 on Sunday.

The Celtics also are without three big men. Shaquille O'Neal missed his fifth straight game with a leg injury, Jermaine O'Neal is expected to be out until early April after arthroscopic knee surgery and Semih Erden missed his third game with a strained leg muscle.