BOSTON — Both the Boston Celtics and Golden State Warriors will have key contributors available for Game 4 of the NBA Finals on Friday night at TD Garden.
The Celtics upgraded starting center Robert Williams to available. Williams, as he has much of the postseason, entered Game 4 listed as questionable with left knee soreness.
“He was good this morning. It felt solid,” Celtics head coach Ime Udoka said during a pregame press conference.
Udoka acknowledged how having one day off in between games does present a bit of a difference than two or three like previously in the NBA Finals. Nevertheless, he expressed how the staff would go about William’s management similar to how it has this postseason.
“I wouldn’t say manage minutes. I think we’re more conscious of that (one night off). But what we’ve tried to do is monitor stretches anyway,” Udoka said. “So we flipped it a little bit last game to get him out early and bring him back in, but that was due to the rotations and lineups we’d like more than anything. But at the same time keeping him from those longer stretches may be beneficial. It depends on how he looks and how he’s moving. But it was much better in Game 1 and (Game) 3 than he looked in Game 2. And so we’re always kind of watching how he’s moving and kind of base it off of that, but last game he had a pep in his step and a good pop and finished the game with heavy amount of minutes.”
Williams was viewed as a game changer in Boston’s Game 3 win. He finished with eight points, 10 rebounds, four blocks and three steals.
Golden State also will have All-NBA sharpshooter Stephen Curry. Curry sustained what he referred to as a foot sprain Wednesday night, but consistently shared how he would not miss Game 4. Warriors head coach Steve Kerr and Curry both confirmed so leading up to Friday’s contest.
“We had shoot around this morning and he told me he felt good,” Warriors head coach Steve Kerr said of Curry two hours before tip. “The training staff said he is good to go.”
The Celtics, possessing a 2-1 series lead and entering as a four-point betting favorite, will host the Warriors with tipoff set for 9 p.m. ET.
