The Celtics were a relatively late addition to their injury report ahead of Saturday night’s 8:30 p.m. game against the Lakers at TD Garden. Robert Williams III was placed on injury report as questionable with a left ankle sprain.
Williams was not on the Celtics’ original injury report on Friday, with both Danilo Gallienari (ACL recovery) and Marcus Smart (sprained right ankle) out. But Williams had sprained her ankle.
If there is any good news, it is that the knee injury is not a problem for Williams. The Big Man had off-season surgery on his left knee that kept him out for the start of the season. He most recently sprained his knee in last week’s Raptors game, when he was forced out with hyperextension of his left knee. But Williams later said it was a precautionary move and that her knee still felt fine.
Williams had been trending upward over the last two games, playing 31 minutes against the Heat, then a season-high 36 minutes in an overtime loss to the Knicks. While the Seas will be wary of their injury-prone big man, Williams playing more minutes is a positive sign that he is approaching the 100% healthy mark after a long layoff to start the season.
The Celtics are looking to snap a three-game losing streak after their loss to the Knicks. Williams is a key part of what the C’s do defensively and they hope he is healthy for Saturday’s game. The Celtics are already whittling down their starting point guard in Smart, and they’ll be looking to fill that production hole with the likes of Derrick White, Malcolm Brogdon and Peyton Pritchard.
