By JessicaCamerato
CSNNE.com
BOSTON -- In Glen Davis mind, succumbing to the pain was not an option.
Not when so many other players had already gone down.
Not when his team needed him on the court.
And so he played. He played when his left leg bothered him. He played when he felt so much pain that he questioned whether or not he could suit up.
No one forced him to do it. Davis felt it was his personal responsibility to the Boston Celtics.
I just felt obligated to play through the pain, he told CSNNE.com.
Boston Celtics
But on Wednesday night, the pain got the best of him. Davis suffered a left patella tendon strain going up for shot attempt late in the fourth quarter against the Phoenix Suns. He was helped off the court by the Celtics team doctor and will undergo an MRI on Thursday.
His status for Fridays game against the Golden State Warriors has yet to be determined.
Davis was aware he was risking further injury, but playing with pain was more than some of his teammates could do. Seeing big men Kevin Garnett, Shaquille ONeal, Jermaine ONeal, Kendrick Perkins, and Semih Erden sidelined throughout this season only fueled his desire to stay on the court.
He is the Celtics sixth man (11.6 points, 5.3 rebounds per game), a role he takes very seriously as they fight for another championship. Davis is one of just three Celtics to appear in every game this season.
We dont have a lot of bodies, he said. With all the bodies going down, I think itd be a different experience if I went down. The fact that I can play so many different positions, coming off the bench, scoring points, helping out in so many ways, I think its just tough. So if I can play to the point where its not disabling me from playing, it just hurts bad, I can tough through it. But if its the point where I cant function, I cant play.
Davis does not feel he is at that point yet. He walked through the Celtics locker room after the game on his own. But its not like he would allow any discomfort to show on his face anyways.
He believes he developed a high tolerance for pain from playing football in high school. Take a hit and keep on moving.
Besides, he was told, the best dont let pain hold them back.
A wise man told me that one thing about a great player is theyre available, he said. A great player is available. They make themselves available. They dont let little nicks and knacks stop them, they play through it. Thats just the way I feel.
Jessica Camerato is on Twitter athttp:twitter.comjcameratoNBA