Boston's Ray Allen out again with ankle swelling

BOSTON—Celtics guard Ray Allen has had some success adjusting to a bench role after returning from a right ankle injury that kept him out for six games—he has averaged 13 points in four games since coming back. But, it turns out, he may not have been completely healed from the injury, as the Celtics determined that Allen would not be able to play in Wednesday’s game against Atlanta here at TD Garden.

“It just swells, I guess,” Celtics coach Doc Rivers said. “I don’t know. I just got a call a little while ago. It is what it is. … I’m concerned this is the second or third time this has happened.”

Rivers said he expected Allen to travel with the team on its upcoming four-game road trip, which kicks off in Toronto on Friday, the first of a back-to-back-to-back (with New Jersey and Charlotte), and finished in New York next Tuesday. But Rivers was not certain that Allen would make the trip, and if he did, Rivers could not say whether he’d play.

The bad news on Allen, though, was countered by good news on swingman Mickael Pietrus, who has been out since suffering a severe concussion March 23. The team was uncertain whether Pietrus would come back at all this season, but it turns out, Pietrus was cleared to play Wednesday.

Pietrus, who has averaged 6.8 points for the Celtics, said he was coming back with an increased appreciation of playing at all.

“My next step is to enjoy life,” he said. “Life is too short, you know. You saw me on the floor. It was like one minute I was healthy, the next minute I was laid out. To me, right now, it’s just enjoy my life. I don’t think about anything else. Just enjoy my time with my teammates. Just enjoy my time playing.”