Key Celtics Depth Piece Suffers Injury In Game 2 Vs. Pacers

BOSTON — The Boston Celtics are already down one center with Kristaps Porzingis still sidelined with a calf strain. And their center depth took a hit Thursday when Luke Kornet suffered an injury.

Kornet sustained a left wrist sprain in the first half of Game 2 of the Eastern Conference finals against the Indiana Pacers at TD Garden. The Celtics listed the 7-foot-1 big man as questionable to return.

It’s unclear how Kornet hurt his wrist. The injury may have happened when he tried to catch a pass from Jayson Tatum on the baseline. He was subbed out for Al Horford with 2:07 left in the first quarter and was attended to by a trainer on the bench. After a couple of minutes examining Kornet, he was taken back to the locker room. Kornet did not return to the bench for the remainder of the first half.

Kornet didn’t score any points and totaled two rebounds in the five minutes he was on the floor. He played just 13 minutes in Game 1, compiling five points, four rebounds and one assist.

With Kornet out, Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla gave seldom-used Oshae Brissett some run in the regular rotation over Xavier Tillman, who was available after missing Game 1 due to personal reasons.

Brissett played small-ball center for a very brief period of time and played three minutes in total in the first half. Brissett was on the floor for part of Boston’s 20-0 run, which bridged the first and second quarters.