Paul Pierce doubtful vs. Grizzles

Paul Pierce

Paul Pierce (AP)
Paul Pierce (AP)
The Brooklyn Nets go into tonight without their backup small forward Andrei Kirilenko, and now they might be down a starter, too. The Nets announced that Paul Pierce is doubtful to play Saturday night’s game against the Memphis Grizzlies with a bruised right hand.

Pierce struggled Friday night against the Rockets, shooting a lethargic 1-6 from the field and sitting out the entire second half as coach Jason Kidd tried to send a message to his team’s starters. It’s not clear when he bruised the hand, either during or after the game.

Deron Williams, Andrei Kirilenko, and Jason Terry did not travel with the team on their two-game road trip, and thus won’t play tonight. Brook Lopez is expected to play.

How did you react? Well…

Pierce was an early bright spot for the Nets on offense, but has struggled since, shooting just 31.1 percent from the field since shooting 50% or better in each of the team’s first four games. It’s amazing to think that 16 games into the season, fans would breathe a sigh of relief that Paul Pierce couldn’t play. It’s come to this.