CHICAGO — Paul Pierce, slouched on the scorer’s table at United Center on Tuesday afternoon, scoffed at the question, an inquiry that had nothing to do with Tuesday night’s Eastern Conference clash between his Washington Wizards and the Chicago Bulls.  “I’m locked in on the Chicago Bulls tonight, dog,” Pierce exclaimed jokingly. “I’m locked in on Chicago.”  [Related: Nene on the Wizards-Bulls rivalry: ‘You know I hate them.”]  Pierce is approaching the end of his 17th NBA season. He understands how important games like Tuesday’s are in the playoff picture so his focus, subsequently, is on the Bulls and nothing else. A Wizards win would secure the season series, a victory that could carry postseason seeding implications. And it’s why Pierce hasn’t even thought about sitting out despite the soreness in his right knee, which he bruised a week ago against the Golden State Warriors.  “It’s day to day,” Pierce said. “Hopefully it continues to get better.”  Pierce’s importance to the Wizards was evident last week, when the swingman’s two-game absence proved catastrophic. Without Pierce — and Bradley Beal — Washington lacked consistent three-point threats, encountered trouble getting to the free throw line and lost to two 12-win teams. When the pair returned Saturday against the Detroit Pistons, the Wizards’ offense predictably improved drastically.  But the 37-year-old Pierce acknowledged he must manage his workload over Washington’s final 21 games. He’s missed just four of the Wizards’ 55 games this season. He is averaging career lows of 12.6 point and 26.9 minutes per game but leads the Wizards with a 58.3 true shooting percentage, which factors in two-pointers, three-pointers and free throws.  His presence is essential for Washington, which is why he will be on the floor Tuesday night looking to snap Washington’s seven-game road losing streak. But it is also why he wants to ensure he is healthy and spry for the postseason just six weeks away.  “It’s a tough stretch,” Pierce said. “I’m battling a knee injury right now but these are games where I feel like I need to be in. They’re important games. It’s week by week and just seeing where I’m at because definitely the most important thing is we go into the playoffs healthy.”  Jorge Castillo writes about the Washington Wizards.
The veteran wouldn't thinking about missing tonight's game vs. the Bulls, but he wants to make sure he's healthy for the playoffs.