Boston Celtics forward Al Horford will be held out of Saturday's game against the Chicago Bulls due to a sore knee. Mark Murphy of the Boston Herald announced the news via Twitter.

The talented big man's production on both ends of the court will be missed by the Celtics. Through 21 games, he is currently averaging 12.4 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 3.4 assists while shooting 49 percent from the floor.

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Horford is one of the many great defenders on the Celtics squad and was a member of the 2017-18 NBA All-Defensive Second Team. He can stick smaller players on the perimeter and anchor the paint, providing an intimidating presence.

The Celtics should still handle the Bulls, as the struggling team owns the third-worst record in the Eastern Conference, only better than the rebuilding Atlanta Hawks and Cleveland Cavaliers. However, the Bulls did manage to defeat a talented Western Conference team in the Oklahoma City Thunder in their last outing.

Hopefully, Horford can recover in time for the Celtics' game on Monday night, when the team faces the New Orleans Pelicans. Facing Anthony Davis without one of their premier defenders will be a challenging task for the team, who are looking to right the ship and remain in the race for the top team in the East.