Boston Celtics forward Jae Crowder‘s MRI result confirmed no structural damage after injuring his left elbow, and while he was optimistic he would be day-to-day, it looks more likely that he won't suit up against the Cleveland Cavaliers in a pivotal matchup Wednesday night, according to ESPN's Chris Forsberg.
“No structural damage, so [that's] pretty good,” Crowder said. “Very, very tender and sore right now. I sat out of practice [Tuesday] and hopefully when I wake up [Wednesday] we'll have a better sense of if I can play tomorrow night.”
“I think it's a day-to-day thing, but I do have [a late-season ankle injury last season] in the back of my head [and] the possibility of going into the playoffs as close to 100 percent as possible. That's how I'm going to gauge it, day-to-day. But, of course, if I feel like I need to take time before playoffs, I will do so.”
Crowder's versatility at both ends of the floor plays a major part in the Celtics game, and can prove essential if they hope to hold onto the No. 1 seed in the East with five games left in the season.
Boston can separate itself from Cleveland with a win or relinquish the No. 1 seed with a loss, making it that much more crucial to have the best tools available.
“We're different when we don't have anybody out there but especially [Crowder],” All-Star point guard Isaiah Thomas said. “He can guard multiple positions. He can space the floor and hit the 3-point shot. If he doesn't play, we'll be a little different, but we'll try to figure it out the best we can. I think it's been like that all season. With guys being out, we've just got to figure it out on the go. But he's a big part of what we do here and hopefully he'll be ready [Wednesday].”
The Celtics could make use of the return of another perimeter defender in Avery Bradley, who sat out the last two games with a stomach bug. Bradley's task will be to guard Kyrie Irving, while the rest of the team collectively attempts to contain LeBron James, who is coming off consecutive triple-double efforts.
“[Bradley] looked great today. Looked fresher,” head coach Brad Stevens said. “I thought both games at home last week he looked like he was still fighting the aftereffects of being sick. Obviously with it recurring, it did give him a chance to get some rest, which has been good. And he feels pretty fresh today. He looked good.”
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