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Celtics guard Jason Terry

(Brandon Wade | Associated Press)

When Boston Celtics head coach Doc Rivers provided some of his veterans with "strategic rest" toward the end of the regular season, Jason Terry sat both of the final two games. At the time the shooting guard warned not to worry about his health, but Rivers indicated he was only benching players whose bodies needed a break.

Now, we finally know why Terry required some time off. According to the Boston Herald, the 35-year old recently underwent an arthroscopic procedure to remove the plica from his left knee. (For a description of the plica and how it can cause irritation in one's knee, click here.)

Terry has already begun the rehabilitation process, tweeting a photo of himself using a zero-gravity treadmill on Tuesday. President of basketball operations Danny Ainge told the Herald that Terry is "doing really well" in his rehab, adding "I'm sure it was bothering him (late in the season)."

The guard scored in single-digits during six of his final nine regular season outings and shot miserably toward the end of the year. After hitting his stride from outside during February and March (drilling 41 percent of 3-pointers during the two months), he connected on just 7-24 attempts (29.2 percent) from that distance in April, the regular season's final month. He did redeem himself slightly in the playoffs, at least following his atypically slow start to the first-round series against New York. After totaling just nine points in Boston's first two games (both losses), Terry averaged 15.8 points over the final four contests. His output included nine consecutive points to close out an overtime win in Game 4 and 17 more points in Game 5, the Celtics' final win of the year.

For some fans, it's probably comforting to hear that Terry was playing through injury, since it beats the alternative: he's just too old to impact games like he used to. Then again, older players tend to get injured more often, so maybe it's not very comforting at all.

For what it's worth, Terry has already established a goal for next season:

"I have to get back to the Sixth Man of the Year form," he said after losing Game 6 to New York.

He always has been an optimist.

The Herald also reported that Terrence Williams had a recent injection "to relieve a painful case of tendinitis in one of his knees."