featured-image

Pregame Post-Ups: C's Keeping Irving Out Until Knee is '100 Percent'

Sunday, March 18 - Celtics at Pelicans

Pregame – C's Keeping Irving Out Until Knee is '100 Percent'

NEW ORLEANS - Kyrie Irving traveled with the Celtics this week with the hope of playing in at least one of their two games on the road. The soreness he has been experiencing in his left knee has improved over the last few days, but not enough to allow him to return to action Sunday evening when the C's take on the New Orleans Pelicans in their final matchup of the short trip.

"He feels better and better, but he just doesn't quite feel 100 percent," Celtics coach Brad Stevens said ahead of tip-off at Smoothie King Center. "Until that point, he'll be out. There was a chance that he'd play today (as of) yesterday, but he just didn't quite feel there yet."

Still, Irving has benefitted from being with the team on the trip. Being in the midst of the final stretch of the regular season, it's a crucial time to be present for team meetings and walkthroughs, so Irving can at least come away from this trip with a greater knowledge of the team than if he had stayed home.

"Every meeting, every walkthrough, every film session is important," said Stevens. "I'm sure that you take something from it. You'd rather have all of your guys on the road, but sometimes because of the opportunity for rehab and our facilities that we have and the equipment that we have, we leave them back. But for the most part, Kyrie can do everything he needs to do on the road, so it certainly doesn't hurt to have him here as far as picking things up."

It has also benefitted Irving's teammates to have him on the sideline during this trip. Irving was constantly cheering on the Celtics throughout Friday night's game against the Orlando Magic from his perch on the bench, and that was greatly appreciated by Boston's players on the court.

"No matter if you are playing or not, it is about comraderie," Celtics big man Greg Monroe said after Friday's win. "When you see your teammates cheering for you, it gives me extra energy and I am pretty sure it has that effect on other people also."

Irving will have the same role Sunday afternoon on the sideline at Smoothie King Center, but the hope is that he will be back in action Tuesday night when the C's return home to take on the Oklahoma City Thunder.

- Taylor Snow