Gordon Hayward Ruled Out Vs. Pistons, But Celtics Don't Considered Foot Injury A Long Term Issue
BOSTON (CBS) -- Gordon Hayward will not play Friday night against the Pistons, but the Celtics sound optimistic that his foot injury is not a long-term concern.
Hayward had an MRI on his sore left foot on Thursday, which came back clean and showed no structural damage, according to head coach Brad Stevens. The foot has apparently been bothering Hayward for some time, dating back to before he broke a bone in his left hand in November. Hayward did not play in Wednesday's road victory over the Dallas Mavericks, and C's president of basketball ops. Danny Ainge said Thursday that they hope to have Hayward back for their Christmas Day tilt against the Raptors in Toronto.
The news is not as good for Celtics guard Marcus Smart, who is still sidelined with an eye infection. The infection has kept Smart away from the team for two weeks, missing four games, and it doesn't sound like things are getting any better. Stevens said Friday that doctors have called it one of the worst infections they've seen, which doesn't bode well for Boston's defensive leader.
In addition to Hayward and Smart, the Celtics will also be without centers Robert Williams (left hip bone edema) and Vincent Poirier (right pinky fracture) on Friday night, while backup guard Brad Wanamaker (left ankle sprain) is listed as probable.
While the Celtics are pretty banged up at the moment, so is their opponent on Friday night. Blake Griffin, Luke Kennard and key reserve Christian Wood have all been ruled out for the contest.
Griffin sat out Monday's loss to the Wizards as he manages his workload following knee surgery. He played 32 minutes Wednesday against the Raptors, scoring 15 points to go with two rebounds and four assists in the Detroit loss. Kennard has played in all but one of Detroit's 28 games this season, making 24 starts, and is averaging 15.8 points, 4.1 assists and 3.8 rebounds for the year.
