Paul Pierce tells David Aldridge that Kevin Garnett had "good practice" Monday; Kidd says he didn't practice

In a discussion with Ian Eagle and Steve Smith Tuesday, David Aldridge said Paul Pierce revealed to him that Kevin Garnett was back practicing with the Nets.  KG has missed 17 straight games with back spasms. On Sunday, The Nets announced that Garnett was targeting a return sometime around April 8th (at Miami) or 9th (at Orlando) to return. But there was no indication that Garnett has been practicing.

Here's what Aldridge said Pierce told him...

Paul Pierce says he'd be surprised if this team isn't playing deep into May. Keep in mind, they've beaten Miami three times and even though they lost all four games to the Pacers, Indiana has certainly taken a step back in recent weeks.

But Pierce said they need Kevin Garnett back. He had a good practice with the team on Monday and they expect him back by the end of the week. As he was running the track yesterday, he was singing the 'Rocky' theme as his friend KG went around the track.

The Nets have been remarkably closed-mouth about KG's return. After the Nets win over the Rockets on Tuesday night, Kidd was asked about whether or not Garnett practiced on Monday, he said, "What's today? He practiced with a coach, maybe, but we had the day off yesterday, so there was no official practice."

Kidd said Sunday after the team's win over the Timberwolves that he didn't believe Garnett would need a lot, or any, practice time before taking the court again.

• Nets Clinch Playoff Berth, But Where is Kevin Garnett? - Alex Raskin - Wall Street Journal