WALTHAM, Mass. – Kevin Garnett did not practice with the Boston Celtics on Sunday and his availability for Monday’s showdown with the Heat remains uncertain.
Garnett, who missed Saturday night’s game against Charlotte with a left adductor strain, did not improve much overnight. Doc Rivers told reporters that he will not play Garnett until he is certain that the injury has healed.
Kevin Garnett, who missed Saturday night's win over Charlotte, may not be able to play Monday night against Miami.
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“It’s just a point of the year where you’re just not going to play him if he’s not feeling great,” Rivers said.
Garnett is no stranger to muscle strains in the lower body. He has dealt with them in the past, most notably with an abdominal strain during the 2007-08 championship season. None of those strains, however, have hampered his long-term health. The only long-term injury Garnett has dealt with since his arrival in Boston was the bone spur development in his right knee in 2009. That injury required surgery and kept him out of the 2009 NBA Playoffs.
This injury will not require surgery but it will require time to recover. As a result, the likelihood of Garnett playing Monday night against the Heat is not very good. Rivers said on Saturday that, “If he’s healthy, he’ll play, and if he’s not, he will not.” The fact that KG was missing from the C’s for a second consecutive day would lead one to believe that he isn’t going to bounce back by the time tip-off arrives at 8 p.m. on Monday.
That being said, Garnett could surprise us all and return in time to take on the Heat. Rivers left the door open – albeit barely open – for that possibility prior to Sunday’s practice.
“We don’t know what he’s going to do tomorrow,” said Rivers. “My guess is 50-50, at best.”
Garnett’s short-term health may look grim, but the good news is this adductor strain does not sound like it will linger for very long. Rivers is essentially treating KG’s injury like a sprained ankle, with the mindset that a little time off will result in the injury disappearing.
Asked how worried he is about the adductor strain, Rivers responded, “Probably a one on a scale to 10. Even if he misses a couple of games, it’s not an injury that’s a big deal. So I’m not that concerned by it.”
Celtics fans shouldn't lose any sleep over the injury if Rivers isn’t concerned by it. Garnett may wind up missing Monday’s primetime showdown with the Heat, but he shouldn’t be missing from Boston’s lineup for very long.