The Truth is ugly.
Following Paul Pierce’s first scoreless game since he was a rookie — an 0-for-7 performance in Monday’s loss to the Pacers — the 10-time All-Star and former NBA Finals MVP had another miserable day Wednesday, shooting 1-for-8 from the field and finishing with six points in the Nets’ 95-78 loss to the Bulls at Barclays Center.
In the previous 15 seasons, there were only three games when Pierce didn’t start, but the veteran forward has now come off the bench in seven of the past eight. Pierce has shown discomfort in his new role, and also seems unhappy with rookie coach Jason Kidd’s distribution of minutes.
With Joe Johnson absent from Friday’s game in Philadelphia, Pierce started and scored 24 points, shooting 7-of-9 from the field, but on Wednesday, Pierce played 17 minutes and 33 seconds — his third-lowest total of the season.
“You’re coming off the bench, you’re not a primary option, and you sort of try and force things,” Pierce said. “You don’t get the looks every night that you’re used to getting over the years, and I’ve grown accustomed to that. I’m usually the third or fourth option when I’m on the court, and sometimes it’s going to be like that. Minutes over the last few games have been different. I played less minutes last game, less minutes this game. When you have inconsistency in your minutes sometimes, you have some inconsistency in your play.”
Pierce, who suffered a broken bone in his right hand during a loss in Houston on Nov. 29 and missed four games, said the injury isn’t completely healed, but that it’s “good enough to play.”
Pierce also made his first comments following Monday’s game, in which he was ejected and fined $15,000 for his clothesline of Indiana’s George Hill.
“I think it just happened,” Pierce said. “I was trying to get back as fast as I could and not give up a layup. I was tired of seeing Indiana make layups all night.
In his second start since Brook Lopez’s season-ending injury, Mirza Teletovic struggled to defend the big bodies of Taj Gibson and Carlos Boozer — picking up four fouls — but excelled on offense, hitting 7-of-11 shots, including three 3-pointers, for 17 points, with 10 in the third quarter. … Reggie Evans grabbed a season-high 13 rebounds in 20 minutes of action.
Andrei Kirilenko (back) missed his 24th straight game, but has been practicing with the team and could be available for Friday’s home game against the Bucks.