The Boston Celtics’ trend of playing shorthanded will continue Wednesday night.
Swingman Evan Turner did not participate in the team’s practice Tuesday and will miss Wednesday’s game against the New Orleans Pelicans due to a left eye abrasion, head coach Brad Stevens said Tuesday.
Turner suffered a scare late in Sunday night’s win over the Los Angeles Lakers when Julius Randle inadvertently hit him in the eye with just 15 seconds remaining. Turner posted a photo of his badly swollen eye Monday, but the 27-year-old didn’t suffer any retina damage.
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“Evan is good. He’s at home,” Stevens said before practice Tuesday, via MassLive.com’s Jay King. “He’s not going to be here (Tuesday), not going to practice (Tuesday). He’s not going to play (Wednesday). But he should be day-to-day after that. The ophthalmologist saw him (Monday) and obviously, if he were to play (Wednesday), he would probably be a day ahead of schedule and force him to wear goggles, whatever the case may be.”
Stevens added that Boston is “very lucky” that Turner’s injury isn’t more serious and that the versatile sixth man should be back for Friday’s game against the Milwaukee Bucks.
Turner, who has averaged 10.5 points, 4.9 rebounds and 4.4 assists per game this season to help lead the Celtics’ strong second unit, filled in for Avery Bradley in Sunday’s starting lineup. Bradley missed Sunday’s game for personal reasons and should be back in Boston’s lineup Wednesday.
Let’s hit a few other notes from Tuesday’s practice.
— Villanova’s wild win in Monday night’s NCAA title game created some buzz Tuesday, and Stevens is no stranger to dramatic title games, having led Butler to a near-upset of Duke in the 2010 championship. But the Celtics coach said he didn’t keep the TV on for Monday’s excitement.
— Jonas Jerebko missed Tuesday’s practice for personal reasons, per the Celtics. He should be available Wednesday, however.
— Rookies Jordan Mickey and James Young were assigned to the Maine Red Claws on Tuesday ahead of the D-League affiliate’s playoff opener.
— Isaiah Thomas had a historic March, scoring 20 or more points in all 14 of the team’s games and leading the Eastern Conference in scoring for the month. But his efforts still weren’t enough to earn Player of the Month honors.
Thumbnail photo via John Geliebter/USA TODAY Sports Images
