BOSTON — The injury Evan Turner suffered Wednesday night was not severe enough to land him on the injured list.
The Boston Celtics host the Chicago Bulls on Friday night, and Turner confirmed before the game that he would be active despite experiencing some discomfort in his sprained right thumb.
“It’s a little sore, but I’ll be all right,” said Turner, who had a small protective pad taped to his thumb. “Once the adrenaline kicks in and I get going, I’ll be fine.”
Turner, the Celtics’ starting point guard, sat out Thursday’s practice but said an MRI of his thumb revealed no structural damage, just a sprain and some bruising. As for whether he thinks the Bulls will target the weak spot, he simply replied, “I hope not.”
Turner had his best game of the season the last time these teams met, scoring 29 points in an 109-104 overtime loss Jan. 2.
In other Celtics injury news, rookie guard James Young has been ruled out for Friday’s game as he recovers from the flu. Forward Jared Sullinger also was dealing with an illness that forced him to leave Thursday’s practice early, but head coach Brad Stevens said the forward will attempt to play against the Bulls.
The Celtics kick off a six-game swing through the Western Conference on Monday in Los Angeles. Stevens said Young will not travel with the team until he is symptom-free.
Chicago will be without center Joakim Noah and forward Mike Dunleavy on Friday night, as both are dealing with ankle injuries.
Thumbnail photo via Bill Streicher/USA TODAY Sports Images
