Via Marc Spears, Yahoo! Sports:

Ainge seemed more optimistic about Kevin Garnett. Garnett didn’t play against the Pacers because of a right thigh bruise, but is a game-time decision for the Celtics’ Christmas Day meeting with the Orlando Magic. Ainge said Garnett, whose 2008-09 season was cut short by a knee injury, was upset about not being cleared to play against Indiana and is itching to return.

This whole strategic rest thing keeps on looking more and more like last year’s debacle.  The whole “Will he play?  Won’t he play?” saga is eerily similar to last year’s playoffs, when it first seemed he’d be back any day… Then they pushed it back a few days, then - before you knew it – KG had missed the entire playoffs and was scheduled for significant off-season surgery.

I hope history isn’t repeating itself, and KG is actually as close to returning as the Celtics say. 

Only time will tell.