Celtics ‘shut down’ Garnett

Kevin Garnett will miss at least the next four games with a sore right knee and may return for the final three games of the Boston Celtics’ regular season.

The emotional leader and defensive star of the defending NBA champions has missed 15 of the last 19 games, including the last two. The Celtics hope the rest will help him get healthy for the playoffs.

Coach Doc Rivers said after practice Tuesday that the team would be “shutting down” Garnett for most of the remaining seven regular season games because of continued soreness in the knee, first injured Feb. 19 at Utah.

“After watching him move today, we’re just going to shut him down,” Rivers said. “It probably won’t be for the year. He’ll probably play by the end, last couple of games, or last three games. It’s just not progressing the way we anticipated it would progress.”

The Celtics began the day in third place in the Eastern Conference, five games behind Cleveland and percentage points behind Orlando. They resume play tonight at home against Charlotte.

Garnett missed 13 games, then played sparingly in the next four in which he averaged nine points and 16.5 minutes. He sat out the last two games, both wins, Friday night at Atlanta and Sunday against Oklahoma City.

Garnett is averaging 15.8 points and 8.5 rebounds in 57 games. Without him, the Celtics (56-19) were 7-6 in their first 13 games. They were 3-1 when he returned and 2-0 in their last two when he was sidelined.

--

Livingston back

Former Clippers first-round draft pick Shaun Livingston will get another chance to make a comeback in the NBA from his gruesome knee injury two years ago.

Livingston signed a multiyear contract with the Oklahoma City Thunder after spending three weeks with their NBA Development League team in Tulsa. The Thunder also recalled rookie D.J. White, who has been working his way back from two jaw surgeries, from the Development League for the second time in eight days.

Livingston has had an extended recovery since tearing three ligaments in his left knee and dislocating his kneecap after a layup attempt in February 2007 with the Clippers. He averaged 9.5 points and six assists in 11 games with Tulsa.

“I still feel like I have the same game and the same skills,” Livingston told the Associated Press in an interview during his stint in Tulsa. “I feel like the skill set is there. It’s just the physical ability.”

--

Jackson done

Stephen Jackson has undergone surgery to remove multiple bone spurs from his left foot, which will keep the Golden State Warriors’ swingman out for the rest of the season.