Celtics’ Kemba Walker Expected To Play Friday Despite Knee Bone Bruise

The Celtics on Friday will try to avoid going down 3-0 to the Nets in their first-round NBA playoffs series, and they may need to do it with Kemba Walker not at full strength.

Walker has battled knee issues all season, but a new bone bruise suffered in Boston’s Game 2 loss is his latest ailment.

Brad Stevens told reporters that Walker was sore Thursday but felt better Friday during the morning walkthrough. A scan he underwent, though, showed a bone bruise in his left knee.

“He had a little bit of a pain from a specific moment in Game 2, so went and got it scanned,” Stevens said over Zoom, via NBC Sports Boston. “He was pretty sore yesterday. Went through stuff this morning, felt a little bit better. I think they’ve said he’s available. He’ll still go through his pregame stuff. And I told him to be very up front with me as he goes through it and how he feels, because obviously we don’t wanna put him in a bad spot. We want him to play if he feels great, he’s healthy. We wouldn’t put him out here if there was nay risk beyond. … The anticipation right now is that he plays.”

Losing Walker certainly wouldn’t be ideal against a powerhouse team like the Nets.

Tip-off for Game 3 from TD Garden is set for 8:30 p.m. ET.