Jaylen Brown’s right ankle sprain will keep him out of the starting lineup for the Boston Celtics’ game against the Miami Heat on Sunday.
A key component of the Celtics offence is gone from the team with Brown’s third consecutive absence. Throughout the season, he has averaged 24.7 points, 6.0 rebounds, 3.4 assists, and 1.2 steals per game.
The Celtics are playing the Heat for the sixth seed in the 2017 NBA playoffs, so this hole in their lineup comes at a critical moment. With five games remaining in each team’s regular season schedule, the Heat lead the Celtics by one game going into Sunday’s match.
Because the seventh through tenth seeds in each conference will have to compete in a play-in tournament that might suddenly end a team’s season, the seeding is extremely important.
The two clubs will play two straight games in Boston starting on Sunday, with the second meeting scheduled for Tuesday night.
As the Celtics guard fell to the court, Marcus Smart’s loud shout could be heard throughout Scotiabank Arena as he rotated his right ankle. While Boston supporters waited to see if the guard would be okay, Smart promptly summoned the Celtics trainers.
As anticipated, Smart’s ankle sprain at halftime forced him out of the game for the remainder of it. Another reason for Robert Williams III’s absence was hyperextension in his left knee, which he appeared to tweak during the first half. The Celtics proceeded to defeat the Raptors 106-104, marking their ninth consecutive triumph; yet, the possibility of injury lingered.
Fortunately, the Celtics had positive news to share after the game. Williams’ knee issue was described as “nothing serious” by Boston coach Joe Mazzulla, who added that the team was exercising caution with the large player. According to Mazzulla, “it’s just a matter of how he’s able to cope with it day-to-day,” Smart’s ankle X-rays were likewise negative. Derrick White is doing alright, according to Mazzulla, despite taking a knock in the second half.
Even if Smart must miss a few games due to his fortuitous injury, the Celtics will take that news. In the victory over the Raptors, Boston also demonstrated its depth, as players like Malcolm Brogdon, Grant Williams, and Payton Pritchard all had strong performances off the bench.
Williams’ hyperextended knee shouldn’t be a major concern because, as Mazzulla noted, it “felt good coming off the court.” Williams shouldn’t have to miss much time after recovering from the injury, if any. The Celtics’ next game is against the Magic on Monday at Orlando at 7 p.m.
