By A.Sherrod Blakely
CSNNE.com
MIAMIPaul Pierce catches some flak -- okay, a lot of flak - for exaggerating the extent of his injuries.
We have seen him go down like a ton of bricks, only to rise to his feet moments later as if nothing happened.
So even after Pierce informed the world that he's "day-to-day" after suffering what was initially thought to be a left foot strain, there's little reason to believe that his current ailment will in any way keep him off the floor for Boston's Game 3 matchup against the Heat at the Garden on Saturday.
About midway through the first quarter, Pierce suffered what was initially thought to be a foot strain. But after the game, Pierce said that he actually has a strained Achilles tendon.
"I'll see how I feel the next couple of days," Pierce said.
The Celtics can always benefit from having the captain around.
Boston Celtics
But now, more than ever, the C's need all hands on deck if they are to find a way out of the 2-0 series deficit that they're facing.
"They the Heati held their serve at home," Pierce said. "They did their job. Now we have to do ours."
Miami was especially effective in the way its Big Three of Dwyane Wade, LeBron James and Chris Bosh outplayed their Celtics counterparts.
For the game, the Heat's Big Three outscored Boston's triumvirate of talent, 80-49.
And one of the keys to reversing that trend will be to get more out of Pierce, who hopes his Achilles tendon will not be an issue moving forward.
"When you strain your Achilles, every step is a slight pain in there," said Pierce, who had 13 points and 5 rebounds. "It loosened up when I got back in there. It really didn't affect me the rest of the game."
A. Sherrod Blakely can be reached atsblakely@comcastsportsnet.com.Follow Sherrod on Twitter at http:twitter.comsherrodbcsn