Delonte West doesn’t just have a sprained ankle. He also has a chipped bone, which he first revealed about ten days ago and still causes him grief. West says has caused recent swelling and kept him from getting the lift he normally does. He added that he “should be good to go next game,” and won’t use the ankle as an excuse. But a chipped bone’s no good. (ESPN)

“I keep trying to downplay it, I’ve had a sprained ankle before, it normally take 2, 3 days and you’re back in action,” said West, who has appeared in Boston’s last six games after missing 39 contests due to a fractured right wrist. “I’ve got a chipped bone in [the ankle] and I think I kind of overdid it a little bit in practice [Thursday]. I was going super hard and the ankle swelled back up on me.

“I did two hours this morning of treatment. I didn’t shoot around before the game, just two to three hours of treatment, just to get ready. I said once I step on the court, there is no excuses. I’m still going to play defense, but with my shot, I noticed that it was all in the takeoff and the landing. It was throwing my shot off. That last play I felt like I barely left the ground.”

West had helped the Celtics gain a 13-point lead, and was one of the only Celtics (the only Celtic?) who exhibited a pulse last night. But Doc Rivers didn’t want to keep him in the game, because he feared the consequences.

“That was a tough one for me,” said Rivers. “I looked at [team trainer] Eddie [Lacerte] and he was [on the fence], so I just didn’t want to take the chance. That was on me.”

West showed his pain the most on one play. He drove to the hoop with his left hand. No help defense came, and normally West would “throw it down, small man.” But he tentatively made a layup instead, and then looked like he was either A) shocked he could barely get off the ground, B) dismayed with his sudden lack of hops, C) feeling legitimate pain, or D) all of the above.

I’m sure he’ll play with the injury. He’s a tough guy. I just don’t know how much it will affect him. Damn, West has had a rough year.