There will be no Robert Williams III against the Thunder on Tuesday due to the need to monitor his left knee. After Williams underwent left knee surgery before training camp, the Celtics have been cautious with their big man and have kept him out of action for the duration of the season. Williams’s status on the injury report changed from “questionable” to “out” before the game.
Williams has appeared in seven games with the C’s this season, averaging 8.3 points and 7.3 rebounds per contest. It was to be expected that he wouldn’t look quite like himself after such a long time of rest and recuperation.
The same was true for him; he had to come back to full speed. Williams has had his share of impressive moments, but he needs to be 100 percent for the Celtics to advance in the postseason.
Joe Mazzulla, the Celtics’ coach, will likely shuffle his lineup around to compensate for Williams’ absence. In addition to Luke Kornet, players like Grant Williams may also receive more playing time. Despite Sunday’s loss to the Nuggets, the C’s still have options behind Al Horford.
Tuesday night at 8 p.m. ET, the C’s will travel to Oklahoma City to take on the Thunder. Once this season, the C’s completed a comeback victory over the Thunder.
