May 11, 2021; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Celtics guard Kemba Walker (8) reacts after his three point basket against the Miami Heat in the second quarter at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports
The struggling Boston Celtics ruled out guards Kemba Walker and Marcus Smart for Wednesday night’s road game against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Walker will sit due to injury management of his troublesome left knee while Smart is out with a bruised right calf.
Boston (35-34) has dropped three straight games and seven of its past 10. One more loss will assure that the Celtics are part of the play-in round that involves the Nos. 7 through 10 seeds.
Boston just dropped back-to-back home games to the Miami Heat, a team it was competing with to avoid the play-in round. The Heat clinched a playoff spot with Tuesday’s 129-121 win over the Celtics.
Boston is three games behind the sixth-place New York Knicks with three games to play.
Walker scored 36 points against the Heat and has topped 30 in four of his past six appearances. Walker is averaging 19.3 points, 4.9 assists and 4.0 rebounds in 43 games.
Smart is averaging 13.1 points, 5.7 assists and 3.5 rebounds in 48 games (45 starts).
Guard Jaylen Brown (wrist) and big man Robert Williams (toe) are also out. Brown will miss the rest of the season.
The Cavaliers (21-48) have lost their past 11 games.
–Field Level Media