"Paul Pierce was back in the lineup last night after making his season debut Friday. The bruised right heel that kept him out of the first three games held up well against the Pistons.

"He said he was very sore, but it wasn't his heel," coach Doc Rivers said before tipoff versus the Wizards, a game the Celtics won 94-86. "It was just his body which is a pretty good sign, I guess."

Rivers said Pierce's conditioning will determine how long he plays in the next few games.

"I'm going to just look to his lungs," Rivers said. "They'll tell me. I told him that the other night. The plan was to put him on the Kevin Garnett plan of five minutes (five on, five off, etc.), and then after five minutes he wanted to stay in, so we left him in there. Then a minute later he was signaling to come out. He may be six-six-six now.

"We're working for the Herman Cain plan," Rivers said with a laugh, referring to the former presidential candidate's 9-9-9 tax plan, "but we haven't got there yet."

In other medical news, Chris Wilcox had hoped to play, but his bruised left shoulder caused him to miss a third straight game. Wilcox could be back in the rotation when the Wizards visit the Garden tonight for a return match.

"I think there's a very good chance," Rivers said."