The Boston Celtics will play their first game in four days on Tuesday night when they take on the Indiana Pacers. The Celtics have lost two of their last three games, and their hold on the third spot in the Eastern Conference has become weaker as they are just a half-game ahead of the Miami Heat.
When the Celtics do take the floor next they will be without starting small forward Jae Crowder who injured his ankle in the Celtics' loss to the Rockets on Friday night. Crowder is without a specific timetable for when he will get back on the floor, but he was unable to return to the game against the Rockets and will likely miss at least a few more.
After the game Crowder guessed that the injury he suffered was a high ankle sprain. The 25-year-old forward said when he stood up after initially going down that he "did not feel good." Fortunately for Crowder he hasn't had to miss any games just yet, but that will inevitably happen as the Celtics expect him to miss at least the next couple of weeks.
High ankle sprains are tricky injuries because they are worse than regular ankle sprains and typically take longer to heal. Football players that suffer high ankle sprains are usually expected to miss 2-4 weeks, but Celtics President Danny Ainge doesn't see Crowder's injury as serious. Crowder went for an MRI which didn't reveal any major damage, so Ainge is optimistic about his return.
Head coach Brad Stevens will be cautious with Crowder because he is an essential part of this team and the Celtics don't want to risk him reinjuring the ankle. The Celtics seem to have their spot in the playoffs pretty locked up, so now it is just all about seeding. Boston's roster is deep enough to be able to handle not having Crowder for a couple of weeks, but they need him badly for their playoff run.
Crowder has been an ironman before this injury, as he has played in all 66 of the Celtics' games. The 6-foot-6 small forward is having by far his best NBA season, as he is averaging career highs basically across the board. The fourth-year man is averaging 14.4 points, 5.1 rebounds and 1.8 steals per game while shooting 45 percent from the floor and 35 percent from three. Crowder has gone from a second round pick in 2012 to one of the most valuable players on one of the best teams in the East. There is nothing to worry about for now but if his ankle doesn't heal right, and he has to miss more time than expected it could really hurt Boston.
