NBA Insider: Celtics' Pierce sprains ankle; Raptors surging

Boston Celtics forward Paul Pierce said he has what he thinks is a mild sprain to his left foot and will have an X-ray on it.

Pierce rolled his foot in the first half of Monday's 99-88 victory against the Washington Wizards.

He stayed in the game through the third quarter but sat out the fourth.

CHAT: Jeff Zillgitt, Tuesday, noon ET

Up and down:

On Dec. 16, the Toronto Raptors were in ninth place in the East, 11 games behind the conference-leading Celtics. Through Sunday, Toronto was fifth in the East, 4½ games behind Boston for fourth. Toronto had gone 15-5; Boston, 9-12. Quietly, too, Toronto has become the East's highest-scoring team (104.1 points). Boston (99.1) is sixth.

•Since Dec. 1, the Cleveland Cavaliers have gone a league-best 26-6 (including eight wins in a row) to move from third in the East to first. They have won without starting point guard Mo Williams (sprained left shoulder) and key reserve guard Delonte West (broken left ring finger).

Around the hardwood:

The Phoenix Suns' Channing Frye will be in the three-point contest at All-Star weekend in Dallas, The (Phoenix) Arizona Republic reported, the first center since Sam Perkins in 1997. ... Rasheed Wallace's technical in Boston's loss Sunday to the Los Angeles Lakers was his 13th; the NBA rescinded one Friday. Sixteen is an automatic suspension.