Paul Pierce's face was noticeably swollen yesterday after some seven hours of dental surgery Monday.

"And this is better than yesterday," said Pierce, proclaiming he'll be ready to play against Portland tonight.
   
The Celtics' captain took an elbow to the mouth in the second quarter of Saturday's victory in New York. He fractured one of his two fake teeth (earned in a floor facial two years ago) and also cracked an adjacent real one.
   
"It was a little worse than they thought," he said. "I had a fracture on the root of my tooth, so it took a little bit longer than they expected."
   
Pierce plans to wear a mouthpiece for Wednesday's contest, and though he couldn't participate a whole lot in Tuesday's practice, he isn't expecting many ill effects from the injury.
   
"I should be fine," he said. "It doesn't have anything to do with my legs or my wrist."

"He didn't do much," Doc Rivers said. "He ran a little bit, but then it started hurting so we sat him out. He's playing (tonight) unless something happens, as far as an infection. But I think he'll be OK.

"I really didn't want him to practice anyway because it was a physical practice. All we would need is somebody to hit him in the mouth, so I'm glad he didn't practice."