Pierce misses Clippers' road trip

While Timberwolves forward Kevin Garnett watched his 30th consecutive game from the sideline because of a sore knee, former Boston teammate Paul Pierce stayed home in Los Angeles for the Clippers' quick two-game Midwestern trip to Target Center on Wednesday and to Oklahoma City on Thursday.

Pierce is out probably for at least a week — sidelined by a sprained ankle and banged knee during Monday's home victory over the Celtics — just as the Clippers are about to get star Blake Griffin back after a three-plus-month absence.

Griffin is set to return Sunday, which would be his first game since Dec. 26 because of a partially torn quadriceps tendon and now because of a four-game suspension received for punching a team employee during an altercation.

He'll have seven games to get himself ready for the playoffs. Clippers coach Doc Rivers is hopeful he'll get Pierce back not long after that for a team that's aimed at the West's fourth playoff slot.

"This is his time of the year, but health is health," Rivers said about Pierce. "We need him healthy. We get Blake back on Sunday. We were hoping we could have our full team back for a change, and now that's not going to happen."

Rivers coached Garnett, Pierce and Ray Allen to the 2008 NBA championship. He said he remains in regular contact with Garnett and said: "I think we'll stay in contact for life. I can't imagine us not communicating here and there."

With season's end fast approaching and Garnett seemingly nowhere near a return, Rivers was asked if he has seen Garnett play his last game in person. Garnett has one season left on a two-year contract.

The relationship between Wednesday's starting point guards dates to 2008, when the Wolves' Ricky Rubio started at age 17 for Spain in the Beijing Olympics' gold medal game against the United States and Chris Paul, now playing for the Clippers.

"I don't know how old Ricky was then, but he was really good," Paul said. "Great player then, great player now. Crazy, but I think he's getting better."

Lynx star Lindsay Whalen was a guest analyst on Wednesday's FSN telecast.

Whalen was seated next to regular analyst Jim Petersen, who is also a Lynx assistant.

Petersen included Whalen in his top five, a regular feature of his on game nights. He had her fourth on a list of top Minnesota-born athletes of all time — ahead of Neal Broten and behind Paul Molitor, Kevin McHale and No. 1 Dave Winfield.

• After playing for Team USA in the 2008 and 2012 Olympics, Paul has decided he won't play in Brazil this summer. "I feel like I have a right to choose my family every now and then," he said.