The good news for the Boston Celtics: Marcus Smart is expected to make his season debut Wednesday night. The bad news: They’ll be without a bigger contributor.
Al Horford has been placed in the NBA’s concussion protocol and will miss the Celtics’ game against the Chicago Bulls at TD Garden, the team announced Wednesday. The All-Star forward apparently got hit in the head during Boston’s practice Monday.
“One of his teammates swiped at the ball and hit Al in the head,” Celtics head coach Brad Stevens said Wednesday on 98.5 the Sports Hub, via CBS Boston. “Right after, from everything I was told by Al and the training staff, he felt good Monday night. He came to practice Tuesday and was cleared, but once we started and he was moving around, after a few drills he felt pretty nauseous.”
Horford left early from Tuesday’s practice and team doctors evaluated him later that night, at which point they ruled him out for Wednesday’s game. Stevens said he also expects Horford to miss Thursday’s contest in Cleveland against the Cavaliers, but that the 30-year-old big man should return after that.
Horford is averaging 12 points, 5.3 rebounds, 4.7 assists and 2.3 blocks per game for Boston during a solid start to his 2016-17 campaign.
Thumbnail photo via Jeremy Brevard/USA TODAY Sports Images
