Sak Sports Blog

The Boston Celtics (25-17, 5th in the East) will be short-handed as they take on the Brooklyn Nets at the Barclays Center. Looking to bounce back from two road losses in Florida, point guard Kyrie Irving is out with a right quad contusion. The Celtics expect him to be available for Wednesday's matchup with the Toronto Raptors. Marcus Smart (illness) has played in all 42 games for the Celtics this season, but will also miss the Nets game. This will be Irving's fifth missed game of the year. Boston is 3-1 in games where Irving hasn't played. Brooklyn is 21-23 and has won four of their last six. A home victory would narrow the gap between the Celtics and Nets to 4.0 games. For more, follow Sak Sports Blog on Twitter Other Articles NFL Divisional Round Reactions NFL Divisional Round Picks NFL Wildcard Weekend Picks The West is Wild and the Regular Season Matters Again Header photo via NESN.com

The Boston Celtics lost more than just the game to the Cleveland Cavaliers on opening night, as small forward Gordon Hayward, a key acquisition this summer, suffered a devastating injury. Hayward was going up for an alley-oop attempt and came down hard, landing on his leg and not being able to get back up. Many initially feared Hayward had broken his leg, which would've have certainly ended his season.  The official diagnosis that the Celtics have announced is a dislocated ankle and a fractured tibia , or shinbone. Dislocated ankles aren't uncommon in the NBA, and usually sideline a player for at least 6-8 weeks. The bone fracture poses a much larger threat to Hayward's recovery time, as it can take anywhere from 3-6 months to heal. CBS Sports talked with certified athletic trainer Jeff Stotts. He said in an absolute best-case scenario, Hayward could start rehabbing in about 12 weeks. This would be in early January, and give him a realistic chance of returni...