The Boston Celtics announced point guard Kyrie Irving suffered left knee soreness during Sunday's 99-97 loss to the Indiana Pacers at TD Garden and did not return.
The Duke product has dealt with various ailments in his first campaign with the Celtics, including knee, shoulder and face injuries, and is yet to play more than 75 games in a season since he entered the league in 2011.
Irving suggested he will take some time to let the knee heal rather than rush back too quickly.
"I think [rest] will probably be the best thing, just instead of kind of hoping it gets better over the two or three days that it usually does," he said, per Chris Forsberg of ESPN.com. "It's aching a little bit more than I wanted it to now, so I'm taking the necessary time."
Boston traded for the five-time All-Star this past offseason, and he wasted little time establishing himself as the team's go-to offensive option as it pursues an 18th championship. Irving was averaging 24.7 points and 5.2 assists per game in 2017-18 entering Sunday's contest after scoring a career-best 25.2 points per game last season for the Cleveland Cavaliers.
His lightning-quick handle allows him to blow past defenders in the open court or in transition, but his three-point shooting prowess makes it difficult for opponents to back off him to prevent his drives.
While Boston can't reasonably expect anyone else to replicate Irving's production, it does have a number of options in the backcourt who can handle the ball while he's out. Look for Marcus Smart, Terry Rozier and Shane Larkin to see additional playing time in the rotation until Irving returns.
from Bleacher Report - Front Page http://ift.tt/2p6NlOl
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