Sigh of relief for Paul Pierce

And on the third day, Paul Pierce [stats] rested.

For the Celtics [team stats], it’s good news that their captain is day-to-day with a left foot strain.

It could have been worse.

Pierce, without anything protecting his foot, showed up for last night’s game against Miami as a spectator.

After a season-long string of injuries, the Celtics realize this time they dodged a bullet.

“This stuff happens in the league, and you do every time a guy goes down, especially that way, with his foot trapped under another guy,” C’s coach Doc Rivers said. “You’re concerned. When I got the report back I took a sigh of relief, no doubt.”

Danny Ainge sweated through the same wait after Pierce trapped his foot under Washington’s Caron Butler in the first half Monday night, and left for good following a brief reappearance in the second half.

“Yeah, it was a relief,” the Celtics general manager said. “These things can be kind of flukey, and the chance for something worse to happen is there.”

Ainge simply took thanks yesterday in what the team considers to be a sound diagnosis after a day of speculation over what was wrong with Pierce’s foot.

“There was a lot of speculation and opinions, but he wasn’t even evaluated by team doctors until (Tuesday) night,” Ainge said. “We were concerned because Paul was still in some pain after the game.”

Neither Rivers nor Ainge offered an opinion on Pierce’s return, though the coach all but ruled out tomorrow’s game against New Jersey.

“He’s good, and it’s day-to-day,” Rivers said. “I don’t think he’ll play (tomorrow) but then after that we’ll see. I was worried when he did it. It looked awful. Just walking around at halftime I didn’t think it was a severe injury. He did play a little bit in the second half, and after the game he said it bothered him, so you are concerned.

“I don’t think there’s any special therapy. I don’t even think he’s in a boot or anything.”