WALTHAMThe regular season finale for the Boston Celtics will likely go down in similar fashion to their first game of the season: A key player will be out with an injury.
Back then, it was Paul Pierce nursing a right heel injury.
Today, it looks like the C's will once again be without Ray Allen.
Allen, who has missed 14 games this season with a right ankle injury -- that includes the last eight -- did not participate in the team's morning shoot-around.
However, he did come on to the floor later and took some shots before returning to the locker room.
In addition to Allen, Celtics center Greg Stiemsma (feet) did not participate in the shoot-around, either. Stiemsma, who has not played since the first half of Boston's 97-92 loss at Atlanta on April 20, is not expected to play tonight against the Bucks.
The news isn't totally bad on the injury front for Boston.
Boston Celtics
Both Rajon Rondo (back) and Mickael Pietrus (right knee) were involved in the team's shoot-around, and are likely to play some tonight.
Rondo, who has already locked up the NBA's assists title this season, has missed the last three games after suffering a back injury at New York on April 17.
Pietrus, who has missed the last four games with swelling in his surgically repaired right knee, said earlier this week that he was targeting tonight's game for his return to, "try to get into a rhythm, get ready for the playoffs."
Speaking of the playoffs, the league announced that the Celtics and the Atlanta Hawks will play Game 1 of their first-round series, on Sunday regardless of which team has home court advantage.