BOSTON - Paul Pierce couldn't dodge the question forever. After taking a night off from the media following the Celtics' win over the Raptors, Pierce addressed the media about his team's loss to the Suns, and more importantly, the rumors.
Pierce has reportedly been drawing interest from several contending teams according to Yahoo! Sports. That report led to Celtics president and general manager Danny Ainge admitting that, if it would help the team, he'd trade the Big Three.
"You can't pay attention to that," Pierce said. "It's part of the business. You just have to do your job as a professional each and every day, and that's about it."
Pierce had 12 points and a team-high six assists against Phoenix, while Ray Allen scored a team-high 14 and Kevin Garnett finished with 10 points and five rebounds. All things considered, the veteran trio didn't do much to quell the trade rumors.
Yet that's not what motivates Pierce: it's the Celtics' 4-9 record.
"What makes me want to play well is our record, more than anything" said Pierce.
Pierce, Allen and Garnett will need to silence the critics quickly if they intend to stay together through the end of the season and beyond, starting with the Wizards game on Sunday.
For more Celtics and Suns coverage, visit both CelticsBlog and Bright Side Of The Sun.