The Celtics will be without two starters, including one who was a late scratch.
Boston coach Brad Stevens said Kemba Walker is out because of a non-COVID illness for the 7:30 p.m. Monday against the Chicago Bulls. Stevens said Marcus Smart was “likely” to play during his pregame availability, but Smart was downgraded to out about 30 minutes before tipoff, also for a non-COVID illness.
Robert Williams III (left knee soreness) and Evan Fournier (health and safety protocols) are still out. Stevens said they’re “hopeful” Williams will be back for Thursday’s game against the Suns.
Fournier is in the final stages of testing ahead of his return, Stevens said, and they’re looking to have him practice Wednesday. But his availability going forward — especially with only 14 games left after Monday — is still up in the air.
“I don’t know if he’ll be able to join us for practice or not when we practice again on Wednesday,” Stevens said of Fournier. “Even if that’s the case, I would say he’s probably doubtful for Thursday and limited beyond that. And I don’t know if he’ll be able to play Friday or not, we’ll just see. That will be determined by our doctors.”
Jayson Tatum (left ankle) and Jaylen Brown (non-COVID illness) were both questionable on Sunday’s injury report. By Monday morning, both Tatum and Brown were upgraded to available. Brown missed the Golden State game last Saturday because of the illness.
The Celtics are already accustomed to missing Walker for single games. The Celtics have been cautious with Walker’s knee after an offseason injection and he missed time early this season. It’s unclear if Smart will be limited at all because of his ailment.
The absences could open the door for some more Jabari Parker minutes. The former No. 2 overall pick was signed by the Celtics last Friday then played the following day against the Warriors. Parker impressed in his Celtics debut, donning the No. 20 jersey, playing 16 minutes, scoring 11 points and grabbing four rebounds.
“He’s a guy that can score,” Stevens said of Parker. “He’s a guy that’s got shiftiness in one-on-one matchups in the post and mid-post. He’s great on the baseline, and there’s ways he has to improve to play in the most meaningful games and the most meaningful times. But he’s a good guy, good worker, he’s excited to be here, and we’re excited that he chose to come here.”
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April 20, 2021 at 06:15AM
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Celtics’ Kemba Walker, Marcus Smart out for Monday’s game against the Bulls - MassLive.com
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