Paul Pierce doesn't seem to be too worried about the slumping Celtics.
Boston hasn't been a full-blown disaster of late, but it was a mediocre 7-6 since the NBA All-Star break going into Tuesday night's game in Sacramento. Within the slide, the Celtics saw the Milwaukee Bucks jump out to a multigame lead for the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference.
But Pierce, as he explained before the C's-Kings matchup at Golden 1 Center, isn't looking for the panic button. He seems to believe Boston simply is eager to get going on the defense of its conference crown.
"I think their slump has a lot to do with just regular-season boredom," Pierce said on "Celtics Pregame Live," as transcribed by NBC Sports Boston. "They want the playoffs to be here. But they've got to understand there's a process to all of this. I think they're starting to play down to the level of their opponents. But hey, you've got to play through the finish line, stop playing to the level of your opponents, and get to the playoffs, but get to the playoffs doing the things you do best and playing the right way and winning some ballgames."
The C's won a ballgame in impressive fashion Tuesday, notching a 23-point road win over the third-seeded team in the Western Conference. Boston also has a chance to close out the regular season with a stack of wins, as six of its nine remaining games are against teams ranked ninth or lower in their respective conference.
