Per an official report from the Boston Celtics, All-Star point guard Kyrie Irving will miss Wednesday’s game against the Sacramento Kings with a left thigh contusion. It’s the first game that Irving will miss since the All-Star Break and the 22nd game he’ll miss this season.
After tallying a double-double with 19 points and 11 assists against the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday night, Irving has averaged 21.9 points, 7.4 assists, 5.0 rebounds, 0.9 steals and 0.6 blocks in 34.8 minutes per game since the All-Star Break. He’s been ultra-efficient as well, shooting 47.6 percent from the field and 48.6 percent from three in that span.
He hasn’t always shown the level of defensive commitment as he had prior to the All-Star Break but offensively, he’s in top form.
Unfortunately for Irving, the Celtics are just 2-5 since the All-Star Break, often times playing with a lackadaisical pace on both ends and looking nothing like the team expected to challenge the Warriors for their throne this season. However, Tuesday’s win over a Golden State provided some reprieve for Boston though the Warriors were missing two key pieces in Klay Thompson and Kevon Looney.
It’s been a long time since the Celtics looked so dominant and it’s no question there was a correlation between their performance on the court and their camaraderie off of it.
The ability to come together in times of adversity is key for any team but for teams with the youth and expectations of the Celtics, it’s invaluable. On Tuesday, Boston had shown their potential by backing up their talk of “being connected,” playing with the unity and intensity they’ve so often lacked.
It bodes well for the Celtics should they find themselves with their back against the walls at any point in the postseason.
That said, the timing and opponent in Boston’s win couldn’t have been any better, as the Celtics are just a month away from the postseason and there’s no tougher opponent than Golden State.
That Boston won’t have Irving against the Sacramento Kings, a team that’s given the Warriors a run for their money every time they’ve played this season, would make what would seem like an easy win for the Celtics a much tougher venture. However, Boston — who will need to prepare for Sacramento’s speed — could find themselves lacking the necessary energy in the second half after playing the Golden State last night.
*All stats gathered from Basketball Reference
