Source: Celtics' Pierce may have broken left foot

Already reeling from a spate of injuries to key players, the Boston Celtics may have lost All-Star forward Paul Pierce for a significant period of time to a broken left foot, according to a league source.

The team does not know for sure if Pierce's foot is broken after X-rays taken Tuesday; more tests are scheduled. But it "looks that way," the league source said.

Another league source, while acknowledging that Pierce hurt his foot Monday, also said there was not yet definitive word that Pierce broke his foot and that the injury "might be a lot less serious" than that. Celtics spokesman Jeff Twiss said Tuesday evening that the team's medical staff had yet to make a determination of the extent of Pierce's injury.

The Celtics are hopeful that even if the foot is broken that Pierce won't be out of the lineup for long. But they are not yet certain of that.

Pierce suffered the injury in the first half of Boston's 99-88 victory over Washington Monday night when he got tangled up with the Wizards' Caron Butler going for a loose ball. He said after the game that he thought he sprained the ankle but didn't believe the injury was serious.

The 32-year-old was averaging 18.9 points this season on 47 percent shooting, and was named to his eighth All-Star team last month.