INQUIRER Sports

NEW ORLEANS, Louisiana -- Boston Celtics forward Kevin Garnett is working to return to the National Basketball Association leaders for Tuesday's game at Denver, the injured All-Star told the Boston Globe.

The newspaper reported Sunday that Garnett, who will miss Sunday's NBA All-Star Game because of an abdominal strain, is working to return following the mid-season break after missing nine games for the Celtics.

"I'm trying to play Tuesday," Garnett said.

The 31-year-old playmaker who joined the Celtics this season in a deal with Minnesota was the top All-Star vote-getter from fans and would have started for the Eastern Conference had he been healthy.

Garnett, who suffered his injury January 25 in a game against his former Minnesota teammates, has been a major reason why the Celtics have the NBA's best record at 41-9 with averages of 19.2 points and 9.9 rebounds a game.

Together with guard Ray Allen and forward Paul Pierce, who both will play in the All-Star spectacle, Garnett has formed a "Big Three" unit that has powered the revival of a Boston team long absent from the list of NBA title contenders.