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DALLAS – Jae Crowder will be back in the Boston Celtics’ lineup tonight in Dallas after missing two games due to a family matter.
His return couldn’t come at a more critical time as injuries continue to pile up for the C’s. Boston will be without Avery Bradley (Achilles) Jaylen Brown (hip flexor) and possibly Gerald Green (illness) tonight when it takes on the Mavericks at American Airlines Center.
“We’re down bodies, so obviously it’s great to have Jae back,” coach Brad Stevens said Monday morning ahead of shootaround in Dallas. “We’re happy that he got a chance to spend some time with his family the last couple of days.”
Crowder said it was important for him to take care of some personal matters back home, but has been eager to get back on the court with his team. He’s especially chomping at the bit for tonight’s game, considering it’s coming against his former squad in Dallas.
“It’s always fun to be back, but I never got a win here,” said Crowder, who is 0-3 against the team that drafted him. “I played here once already, but I didn’t get a win; it went into overtime last year. So I’d like to get a win this year.”
Winning hasn’t been much of an issue for Boston lately, even without Crowder and Bradley in the starting lineup.
Thursday, the Celtics overcame a 17-point deficit in Portland and outlasted the Trail Blazers, 120-111 Then, Sunday, Boston flew out to a 23-point lead in Utah, and held off the Jazz, 112-104.
“That was two big wins,” said Crowder. “Playing in Portland, a hostile environment, on a back-to-back (after a loss in Sacremento) was great. And the way we came out and jumped on Utah was unbelievable – just to get those guys down early and stay on them.”
Crowder was impressed by how many role players were able to step up during his absence. The C’s were very shorthanded in Utah, as Brown also missed half of that game and Marcus Smart had to leave temporarily because his leg cramped up.
Boston turned to others, such as Gerald Green, who stepped up and provided 16 points off the bench, and James Young, who chipped in with 10 points of his own.
“We have a lot of guys that can contribute, and coach puts them in position to help our team,” said Crowder. “And they did exactly what they were supposed to do. The bench came in with a lot of good energy and we did the things we were supposed to do. We did what we could control as a team and let the rest of it take care of itself. And once you take care of that, you have a good chance of winning the game.”
The Celtics, who have won nine of their last 10 games, will look to continue that trend tonight despite facing a number of absences again. They’ll use this game as another opportunity to display their depth and resilience.
“I just think it’s a good time for us to come together,” said Brown, who is expected to be sidelined through the All-Star break. “I think that’s the measure of a team. Each guy is just as important as the other; it kind of works like a chain.”
Multiple Celtics will have to step up again tonight against a surging Dallas team that has won 11 of its last 16 contests. Fortunately, Crowder will be back in the mix for Boston, and he’ll be eager to finish off the road trip with a win against his former team.