"Boston Celtics forward Paul Pierce said he believed he let his teammates down after being ejected in the fourth quarter of Sunday's Game 1 in the Eastern Conference semifinals.

Pierce, who did not speak with reporters after the game, made his first comments before Monday's practice on the University of Miami campus.

He was kicked out with seven minutes remaining after being hit with a second technical foul, resulting in an automatic ejection.

"I was more disappointed in letting my teammates down," Pierce said.

"That's the first thing I said when I went to the locker room. When you put yourself in a situation that you can control and it hurts your team, that's what I was most upset about, and I can't do that. I'm too important to this team to be putting myself in those situations."

Pierce admitted he was somewhat surprised by the ejection. He received the technical after exchanging words with Heat guard Dwyane Wade.

It happened after Wade was called for a foul while running through Pierce's attempt to set a screen."