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Evan Fournier was just starting to find his groove with his new team, Boston Celtics, before COVID-19 stopped him in his tracks.
He was out of commission for the Celtics starting April 4 and had missed the team's last eight contests. Following a grueling battle against the virus, the 28-year-old Frenchman was finally cleared to play against the Brooklyn Nets at Barclays Center on Friday.
But as expected, Fournier still felt the lingering effects of COVID-19 and struggled in his first game back. The 6-foot-7 swingman finished with just two points, two rebounds, five assists, one steal, and one block in 22 minutes in Boston's 109-104 loss. Moreover, he missed all his seven field-goal attempts. Yikes.
After the match, Celtics head coach Brad Stevens confirmed Fournier was still catching his breath after his long layoff. The Beantown tactician also expressed his belief that the usually deadeye shooter will find his stroke once more in the coming games, per Jay King of The Athletic.
Brad Stevens said Evan Fournier felt pretty winded out there after his long layoff. Stevens is pretty sure Fournier won’t have many shooting nights like that.
— Jay King (@ByJayKing) April 24, 2021
Evan Fournier, for his part, echoed the same sentiment and claimed patience will be key in his long road to recovery.
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Evan Fournier said he probably could have waited a few more games to feel better, but he just got to the Celtics and believes he needs reps.
“For me, the most important thing is just to be out there.”
Thinks that’s the only way he’ll feel better at some point.
— Jay King (@ByJayKing) April 24, 2021
While the Celtics swingman is happy to be back on the floor, he admitted dealing with the virus was no walk in the park. He had little to no energy and practically just slept through his entire quarantine period (via Keith Smith of Yahoo Sports).
Evan Fournier says mostly he felt like he had the flu and he spent a lot of time sleeping. Said the hardest part was ramping back up his activity to get back on the court."
— Keith Smith (@KeithSmithNBA) April 24, 2021
While all NBA teams have been ravaged by COVID-19 throughout the season, it seems the Celtics have been one of the most affected ones. Superstar Jayson Tatum has earlier revealed he hasn't completely recovered from the effects of the virus earlier this campaign as well.
Despite the loss, Boston has rediscovered its groove as of late and has won seven of its last 10 games. Having Fournier back in the fold will indeed be crucial for the team's success moving forward.
