Stiemsma battling injuries to both feet

Greg Stiemsma can't wait on his own hands and feet.

The Celtics backup center is battling a bone bruise in his right foot, plantar fasciitis in his left foot, and both a jammed thumb and a "chunk out of my right pinkie on one of those blocks in Atlanta, I think," he said. "Nothing major. Just a flesh wound."

Through it all, Stiemsma has put together the best month of his NBA rookie season -- including 10 points and seven rebounds in an 88-76 victory over the Wizards. It couldn't have come at a better time for the Celtics, who recently lost Jermaine O'Neal (wrist) and Chris Wilcox (heart) for the season.

"There’s always little bumps and bruises that you get throughout the season," he said. "This year, with the situation we’re in … we didn’t really have a choice. I’ve worked too hard to get to this point to let a couple little injuries keep me off the floor."

Stiemsma is averaging 3.4 points, 3.5 rebounds, 2.3 blocks and 1.1 steals in 17.5 minutes over 12 games in March.

"At this point, nobody's 100 percent," said Celtics teammate Rajon Rondo. "Give him credit, obviously. When he's not in his tennis shoes, he's in a boot. That's just part of it. You don't see it everyday, but everybody's going through something."

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