The Boston Celtics will once again be shorthanded in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals after Brad Stevens announced that Shane Larkin will be out against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
#NEBHInjuryReport: Brad Stevens says Shane Larkin “had a great day yesterday,” but adds that Larkin definitely will not play tonight.
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) May 21, 2018
The Celtics' backup point guard in Larkin has missed every game in this series after suffering a shoulder injury against the Philadelphia 76ers, but Larkin feels like he is getting closer to a return.
“There was a little pain here and there, but that’s just something I’m going to have to get used to going forward,” Larkin said via The Boston Globe. “But everything is pretty good. My shot is getting more fluid. Just being able to fend off people is the next step, so everything’s progressing in the right way and I’m feeling good.”
The next step in Larkin's path to a return is to be cleared by the doctors and make sure he won't make the injury worse if he is to return.
Larkin can deal with the pain, but if there is a chance that he could reinjure it, the Celtics will probably be very conservative with it.
“The biggest part is just being able to protect the shoulder from another blow like that, because another blow like that means more severe injury and surgery and all that,” Larkin said. “So I don’t want to have that happen, but obviously with the opportunity that we have, I want to be a part of that and help my team in any way I can. So hopefully I’ll be out there soon.”
With Kyrie Irving already out, the backcourt of the Celtics was already thin before Larkin went down with the injury.
When he does come back, it will just allow the Celtics to have a little more bench depth that they can lean on.
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