Bell, who was acquired from the Charlotte Bobcats on Monday in the Stephen Jackson trade, stunned his teammates and coaches by playing Wednesday, one day after he announced he was having potentially season-ending surgery to repair a torn ligament in his left wrist. He scored 11 points in 23 minutes off the bench. He made 4 of 6 shots, including three 3-pointers, and had three assists.

It turned out to be a one-game trial to see if his wrist would pass the test. It didn't. Bell heads to North Carolina today and plans to meet Monday with an orthopedist in the Charlotte area, where he will schedule the surgery.

"I wanted to try to help and see what my hand was going to do one last time before I made a decision," said Bell, with a party bag of ice on his wrist after the game.

Golden State played just seven men in a loss at Cleveland the night before on Tuesday, and Bell's minutes were helpful as the Warriors stayed close with Boston for most of the game Wednesday. What's more, Bell gave the Warriors an example of the gutsy, scrappy, sacrificial disposition they need to be successful.

"That meant a lot for me," guard Anthony Morrow said. "He wanted to be with his teammates. It's a reflection of the kind of person he is. We definitely need that. Everybody kind of needs to rally around each other and play hard for each other, show a lot of heart, a lot of courage, lot of character. I appreciated that."

The Warriors were doomed by another deficient third quarter, being outscored 31-19 as Boston gained control of a tight game. Eventually, turnovers the Warriors finished with 21, which led to 30 Celtics points helped Boston pull away.

Still, the Warriors headed home feeling good about their effort and seemingly motivated to keep it going. Thanks largely to Bell.

"That surprised the mess out of me," guard Monta Ellis, who had 18 points on 8-for-21 shooting, said of Bell's appearance. "I saw him sitting down. Then to see him take his uniform off and go in the game ... He went out and did a great job, actually. He knocked down a couple shots. Rebounded. Defended well. For him to go out and do that, that says a lot. That's a great vet. Once he gets going and gets healthy, ain't no telling what we can do."

Bell was fine shooting. But he said it was a problem for him to do the little things that make him effective: going for rebounds, steering the offensive player with his forearm, sticking his hands into the mix, hustling for loose balls. After Wednesday, he was sure he needed surgery.

The severity of the tear in Bell's ligament will determine how long he is out, but that can't be determined until the surgeon looks inside. At best, Bell will be out for about a month. At worst, he's out for the season.