<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">BOSTON -- Al Jefferson's pregame "maybe, maybe not" answer when asked whether he'd play last night against Miami became an affirmative late in the first quarter, when the second-year big man entered the game and promptly pulled down a rebound. Jefferson played 12 minutes last night, his first game action since suffering a sprained right ankle on Feb. 3. His first practice was Tuesday, but that, coupled with him waking up yesterday feeling minimal pain, led to his being activated. He deemed himself as "80 to 85 percent" healthy. When he replaced Raef LaFrentz with 2:22 to go in the first period while Miami's Shaquille O'Neal was at the free-throw line, Jefferson received an enthusiastic cheer from the TD Banknorth Garden crowd. Jefferson rebounded O'Neal's miss on his second attempt. In six first-half minutes, Jefferson had 5 points and 5 boards. Celts coach Doc Rivers said before the game it was good to have Jefferson back, at the very least because of the extra six fouls Boston would get against O'Neal. "I wish we could have 12," Rivers joked, thinking of still-injured center Kendrick Perkins. Perkins (dislocated left shoulder) still is at least a week away from returning. Pierce loses out Despite leading the NBA in scoring for the month of February, Paul Pierce was overlooked for Eastern Conference player of the month. Miami's Dwayne Wade received the honor. While Boston went 5-6, Pierce averaged 33.5 points on 48.1 percent shooting, 4.7 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 1.6 steals. He had the highest scoring average for a Celtics player over a calendar month in team history, and it was the second time Pierce has led the league in scoring for a month; he also did it in March 2001 (30.3 ppg). John Havlicek (28.1 ppg in October 1970) is the only other Boston player over the last 50 years to lead the NBA in scoring for a month. Wade's numbers for the month, when the Heat went 8-2, were 29.8 points, 6.5 assists, 5.8 rebounds and 1.5 steals. The month was the high point of Pierce's career-best year. He continues to be the only player in the league to lead his team in points (26.8), rebounds (7.0), assists (4.6) and steals (1.4), and he and Philadelphia's Allen Iverson are the only players to score more than 15 points in every game this season. Pierce also received word last week that he is one of the 25 invitees to Team USA's training camp. He, Rivers and Danny Ainge campaigned hard for Pierce's inclusion. Pierce met with USA Basketball managing director Jerry Colangelo at the All-Star Game and was sent a contract shortly thereafter. Tired of their recent embarrassing finishes in international competitions, USA Basketball is asking players to make a three-year commitment, which includes this year's World Championships in Japan and the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing.</div> Source
Al's Take Not sure if Al's assessment of his own health is accurate. We were never really told how bad the ankle sprain was, but he looked ok at best last night. His one on one offensive moves were beautiful as always, but Doc didn't leave him out there to front Shaq, only really against Mourning. His lift was obviously hurt, and he couldn't get up and down the floor like Gomes does. Granted, there's no other big man on the team who can get up and down the floor like Gomes does. I'm hoping that he didn't come back too early, he was visibly limping last night. He's too important to take any risks on.
