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The Boston Celtics may have lost at home on Sunday against the Indiana Pacers, but beyond the defeat, they suffered on the night, what's even more concerning is seeing Kyrie Irving exit the game before halftime and only play a total of 15 minutes.
He continues to suffer from knee soreness, which has forced him to miss some matches as well. Now, he will reportedly sit out more as he needs time to recover from it.
However, the five-time All-Star is apparently not too worried about his condition. He made it known via Chris Mannix of ESPN, but the veteran reporter also added that it may be something the Celtics could be wary of.
Kyrie Irving says he's not concerned about his ongoing knee problems, but this is twice in a week it's caused him to miss time. Celtics have to be wary.
— Chris Mannix (@SIChrisMannix) March 12, 2018
Jared Weiss of The Celtics Wire then made a series of tweets discussing Irving's situation, as well as the team's. He also had the chance to chat with Uncle Drew, where he said that he believes sitting out some games will be beneficial for him.
Kyrie Irving is planning to sit out likely at least the next couple of games: "I'm not concerned. Where we are in the season, I'm pretty comfortable. I think that competitively, I think that's more or less what I'm concerned about." [1/2]
— Jared Weiss (@JaredWeissNBA) March 12, 2018
Kyrie on taking time off for his knee to recover, continued [2/2]: "When I actually do get back on the floor, I want to feel the level I expect myself to be at and I want to play at and being able to sustain it. Right now, I'm not able to do that. I just got to do that."
— Jared Weiss (@JaredWeissNBA) March 12, 2018
Kyrie on potential further steps in the future to address knee soreness like surgery: "I don't know. I hope not. I've been that road before. I've had a fractured kneecap already." [1/2]
— Jared Weiss (@JaredWeissNBA) March 12, 2018
Irving continued [2/2]: "I think taking games like this, being smart about it probably will put me in a better position not to be out for a long period of time. That's the last thing I want to do."
— Jared Weiss (@JaredWeissNBA) March 12, 2018
With the Celtics having already clinched a playoff berth, it makes it easier for them to let their best player take some time off in order to return to 100 percent in time for the playoffs. It also helps that they are currently seven games clear of the Indiana Pacers for the second seed in the West, giving them some breathing room.
Irving's importance to the Celtics is beyond words. They gave up assets in order to secure his services, and he has responded by playing great basketball throughout the campaign so far. If he can shake off the knee soreness and perform at a high level once the postseason starts, the team will have a strong chance of living up to expectations that they are indeed serious title contenders.
