Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
The Celtics Get Two Players Back from Health and Safety Protocols
Help is on the way for the Boston Celtics. Grant Williams and Al Horford exited health and safety protocols on Monday, and now, according to the team's latest injury report, Josh Richardson and Justin Jackson are out as well.
Richardson has bolstered Boston's bench, averaging 10.7 points per game. The seventh-year wing is knocking down 40.5 percent of the 3.6 threes he's taking per contest, and he consistently capitalizes on hard closeouts by creating quality mid-range shots off the dribble. Richardson is making 53.1 percent of the 4.5 shots he's hoisting from inside the arc per game. The former second-round pick also provides quality perimeter defense and an infusion of energy off the bench.
As for Jackson, the former North Carolina Tar Heel is on a 10-day contract. Before entering health and safety protocols, he'd suited up for three Celtics games, but he only played in the final two minutes of their win against the Cleveland Cavaliers. Jackson registered his first two points of the season, making a pair of free throws.
Six members of the green and white remain in the protocols Richardson and Jackson cleared and will miss Wednesday night's game against the Los Angeles Clippers. Jayson Tatum got placed there on Monday. The other five are Dennis Schroder, Aaron Nesmith, Enes Freedom, C.J. Miles, and Bruno Fernando. Marcus Smart is questionable for the matchup due to a right-hand laceration he sustained against the Milwaukee Bucks on Saturday.
Tip-off between the Celtics and Clippers is at 7:30 EST at TD Garden. Inside The Celtics will have content related to the game coming out before, during, and after. And follow @BobbyKrivitsky on Twitter for updates and analysis from pregame to post.
Update: While speaking with the media before Wednesday night's matchup against the Clippers, Ime Udoka said Marcus Smart is out for the second-straight game. Udoka added that Smart "doesn’t have a lot of grip or touch, but should be back soon. It’s a short-term thing that (he) should be (back) next game or so."
Further Reading
In More Ways Than One, the Celtics are in Need of a Shakeup
What Stood Out in Celtics' Loss to Timberwolves: It's Just Not Working
What Stood Out in Celtics' Christmas Loss to Bucks: Boston Starts Fast, Crumbles at Crunch Time
Should the Celtics Trade for Buddy Hield?
