The Boston Celtics will once again be without one of their starters, as Robert Williams III has been ruled out of Friday’s Game 6 contest against the Milwaukee Bucks.
In his pregame media availability, Celtics coach Ime Udoka told reporters that Williams would miss his third straight game due to a bone bruise on his knee.
“The pain is still there and we’re not going to put him out there until he’s 100 percent.” Udoka said, per Celtics team Twitter account. “It’s a bone bruise… it limits his movement.”
Williams’ injury came about in Game 3 of the series when Giannis Antetokounmpo drove into the lane and collided with the Celtics center’s knee.
Boston will once again rely upon a combination of Marcus Smart, Al Horford and Grant Williams to slow down Antetokounmpo defensively, with Daniel Theis likely to be asked to contribute off of the bench as a defender and rebounder.
In five games this postseason, Robert Williams is averaging 6.2 points, 4.8 rebounds and 1.8 blocks in 20 minutes on the court.
Boston will look to keep their season alive in Game 6 on Friday night at Fiserv Forum. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET.
