Paul Pierce will not travel with the Boston Celtics up to Oakland for their game on Friday versus the Warriors.

?I?m going to stay off it,? said Pierce, who won?t see Boston play live again until next Wednesday?s home game against Cleveland. ?Getting up and around with this boot on is too much wear and tear.
   
?It?s better if I stay put. The more I walk, the more it starts hurting.?

The 76ers said goodbye to Allen Iverson and their 12-game losing streak all on the same night.

Andre Iguodala scored a career-high 31 points and had nine assists to help Philadelphia beat Boston 98-83 on Friday night, just hours after the trade of their troubled superstar became official.

"It's a relief," said Samuel Dalembert, who had 14 points and 12 rebounds to help the Sixers to their first victory since beating Chicago on Nov. 24. "It's like carrying a big bag of potatoes, man, for a long time. It was crazy."

The Celtics announced on Thursday that a stress reaction in Paul Pierce's left foot will force him to miss at least three weeks.

Pierce initially suffered the injury last week, but aggravated it during Wednesday's loss to Golden State.

A Western Conference executive maintained the Nuggets, Minnesota, Boston and the Los Angeles Clippers were the main teams interested in acquiring Allen Iverson.

"The real players in an Iverson trade are the main ones that have been talked about," the Western Conference executive said. "It's not like the Utah Jazz are going to have 'a come to Jesus' meeting and trade for A.I. Billy already has his serious players. The deals are already 90-95 percent there. At some point he has to pull the trigger.

"He's been talking to (Indiana CEO and president) Donnie Walsh, who has the world's slowest trigger. And he's been talking to (ex-Sixers coach) Larry Brown, who has the world's fastest trigger."

Backup center Michael Olowokandi was back on the practice floor for the first time in several weeks today after missing the last month with an abdominal strain he suffered against the Indiana Pacers on November 15 while battling Jermaine O'Neal for a rebound.

Olowokandi isn't sure if he'll be ready for Wednesday night, as he awaits clearance from the team's medical staff. In the meantime, with all of the recent injuries befalling the team as of late, Coach Doc Rivers was pleased to have another body on the floor.

"That was a nice surprise. I didn't know it was going to happen. He looked OK. He was supposed to only go through the drills, and then he went through the entire practice," said Rivers, who noted that Olowokandi may be activated for Wednesday's game against Golden State. "O really wants to play."

So will we see Olowokandi in a game this week?

"If things keep progressing between now and then, I don't see why not," Olowokandi said. "When I'm needed, I told coach I'll be ready."

Forward Wally Szczerbiak left Saturday's game against Charlotte with a sprained right ankle and did not return. Szczerbiak came down awkwardly while committing a foul on Gerald Wallace late in the third quarter. He immediately fell to the floor and clutched his ankle.

According to sources, the Celts and 76ers did have discussions on a potential trade, but, contrary to published reports, at no time did the Celtics make a specific offer or did the Sixers make a specific request.

More than one league source confirmed that the Sixers? wish list from the Celtics included some combination of Al Jefferson, Delonte West, Ryan Gomes and Theo Ratliff, with the latter being an expiring (after next season) contract to make the salary numbers work.

Paul Pierce was in Philadelphia on Wednesday and said he would welcome the chance to play with Allen Iverson.

"All great players in the league are selfish to some degree," Pierce said. "That's what separates a player from making the All-Star team and an MVP candidate every year."

Danny Ainge told the Boston Globe's Shira Springer late on Thursday night that his club's chance of pulling off a deal for A.I. were "slim."

Boston will remain a viable option until Iverson is actually dealt because they hold three things Philadelphia is seeking: an expiring contract, young players, and a first-round draft pick.

Wally Szczerbiak participated in Boston's light practice on Tuesday to test his sprained left ankle.  

But it wasn't until after the workout, when Szczerbiak dunked on rookie Allen Ray during a game of one-on-one that it became clear the small forward would be ready to play on Wednesday against Philadelphia.

Upon learning of the dunk, coach Doc Rivers said, "There's your answer."