Boston Celtics star Kemba Walker is uncertain himself of the issue that caused him to temporarily leave Sunday's game against the Charlotte Hornets. One thing is for sure, though: it hurt!
Speaking to reporters after the loss that saw the Celtics drop to 32-29 on the season, Walker admitted that he can't really explain the “weird pain” on his side that he felt before jogging off the court in the second quarter. He noted that he should be able to know more after some evaluation on Monday, adding that it still hurts a little bit.
Kemba Walker was still able to finish the contest and even recorded a team-high 20 points in nearly 30 minutes of action. However, the pain obviously affected him throughout, as he went 7-of-17 from the field–including 3-of-9 from 3-point territory.
The last thing the Celtics need right now is another health issue, especially amid this crucial stretch to the playoffs. The Beantown team is yet to build consistency and chemistry, and they need to do it quick as they remain in danger of falling to the play-in tournament and, possibly, out of the playoffs. After all, the streaking 10th-seeded Washington Wizards are just five games behind Boston in the Eastern Conference.
Hopefully Kemba's latest health issue is not that serious and won't cause him to miss games for the Celtics. Head coach Brad Stevens needs all his players, particularly his stars, to be as healthy as possible in their final stretch of games. Any absence could very well doom them and their playoff hopes after three East Finals appearances in the past four campaigns.