Celtics' Bradley unlikely to return in Hawks series
Celtics shooting guard Avery Bradley is “very unlikely” to play the rest of Boston’s first-round series against the Atlanta Hawks after suffering a significant strained hamstring in Game 1, coach Brad Stevens said Sunday.
Bradley underwent an MRI on Sunday after suffering the injury in the fourth quarter of Saturday night’s 102-101 loss in Atlanta.
Stevens said Saturday that Bradley heard a pop after landing awkwardly while defending a layup attempt by Hawks guard Jeff Teague with seven minutes remaining in the fourth quarter. Bradley said he “felt weird” after landing and collapsed to the ground clutching his hamstring while trying to run back up the court.
Boston’s medical staff tended to Bradley on the floor, then he needed to be helped off the court. He finished with 18 points in 33 minutes.
Celtics guard Marcus Smart sprained a finger on his left hand in the first half but was spectacular in aiding Boston’s rally from a 17-point halftime deficit. He sat out practice Sunday as a precaution. And big man Kelly Olynyk has a sore right shoulder and did not play late in Saturday’s game. It’s the same shoulder that sidelined him for a month before he returned in March.
The Celtics likely will lean more heavily on Smart and Evan Turner with Bradley unable to play.
ESPN staff writer Chris Forsberg contributed to this report.
