Boston Celtics veteran Nikola Vucevic is one step closer to returning from a hand injury that has sidelined him for the past month. Vucevic suffered a fractured finger in a 120-100 win against the Dallas Mavericks. Then, the Celtics upgraded his status on the injury report.
Vucevic is listed as questionable for the Celtics' matchup against the Toronto Raptors, per NBA insider Marc Stein.
“The Celtics have upgraded Nikola Vučević to questionable for Sunday’s game against Toronto,” Stein reported. “Signaling that Vučević is indeed on the brink of a pre-playoffs return from a fractured finger.”
With Jayson Tatum finding his stride on the heels of a triple-double weeks removed from making his season debut, the Celtics continue to build momentum in the Eastern Conference ahead of the playoffs. The Celtics traded for Vucevic at the deadline to add depth in their frontcourt.
Nikola Vucevic could return for Celtics' matchup vs. Raptors
If Nikola Vucevic return for the Celtics' matchup against the Raptors, it'll be his first game alongside Jayson Tatum. Tatum commented on the Celtics' Vucevic trade in February. Tatum expressed his excitement over the news that he'd be teamming up with Vucevic.
“Vooch is a hell of a player,” said Tatum. “Obviously, I've competed against him for the last eight years, and [I'm] excited about the things that he brings to this team, different dynamics. We're all excited to have him.”
Vucevic has averaged 10.4 points on 44.5% shooting, including 35.1% from deep, and 7.2 rebounds in a dozen games for the Celtics.
