Celtics dealt triple injury blow
March 13, 2018
Boston Celtics’ chances of claiming NBA Championship glory this season have been dealt a triple blow after it was confirmed Kyrie Irving, Marcus Smart and Daniel Theis picked up injuries against the Indiana Pacers.
The Celtics slumped to a narrow 99-97 loss at the TD Garden on Sunday, but it was not just the result that left a bitter taste in the mouth for the team, as they also lost three important players to injury.
Five-time NBA All-Star Irving has been troubled by a knee injury ever since joining Boston from the Cleveland Cavaliers during the off-season and he aggravated the problem during the first-half of the clash with Indiana.
Boston have been managing Irving’s injury throughout the season and head coach Brad Stevens admits their priority is to try and get the 25-year-old fully fit ahead of the start of the playoffs next month.
“We’ve [mapped out rest] pretty consistently [when Irving has been sore]. We’ve said if we need to rest, or the knee becomes an issue, then automatically everything stops, and we go from there,” Stevens told reporters.
“What we’re really focused on now is making sure that knee feels as good as possible heading into April.”
Point Guard Smart was Boston’s leading scorer against Indiana, but he reportedly tore a tendon in his right thumb and now faces an indefinite period on the sidelines.
Power forward Theis also suffered a serious injury against the Pacers, as he tore the meniscus in his left knee during the final minute of Sunday’s contest and he will, therefore, miss the rest of the season.
The depleted Celtics are next in action when they play host to the Washington Wizards on Sunday and they are currently priced at 13.00 to go on and claim NBA Championship glory come the end of the season.
