Jae Crowder Injury: Updates on Celtics Forward's Ankle and Return

Boston Celtics swingman Jae Crowder suffered a sprained right ankle March 11 against the Houston Rockets and hadn't played since. However, he is ready to return. 

Continue for updates.

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Crowder Active vs. Trail Blazers

Thursday, March 31

Celtics coach Brad Stevens told reporters Crowder will start against Portland after missing the last eight games. 

Crowder told reporters earlier it's unlikely he'll play both Thursday and Friday, and he'll have to choose when to play. He added Thursday is the better option. 

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Stevens Comments on Crowder's Return Timeline

Wednesday, March 23

Stevens doesn't think Crowder will return to the lineup during the early portion of the upcoming West Coast trip, according to A. Sherrod Blakely of Comcast SportsNet New England. The five-game road trip begins Saturday and will go through April 3.

Stevens told reporters Monday that Crowder "is progressing" and seems to be on target to return around the two-week estimate set when he suffered the injury.

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Crowder Is a Vital Defensive Cog for Celtics

Crowder doesn't generally light up box scores like a superstar, but he's among the most important players on a Celtics team that has long been in need of a versatile presence on the wing.

Evan Turner can offer a solid scoring punch and Avery Bradley thrives as a three-and-D weapon, but Crowder is a big, active body who isn't afraid of matching up against some of the league's most polished perimeter weapons.

"Jae is one of the top competitors in this league, for sure," guard Marcus Smart said, per ESPN.com's Chris Forsberg. "The way he approaches every game and practices, he comes out and he’s ready to play every day. You gotta respect a guy like that."

Sixty-six games into a successful 2015-16 season, Crowder's averaging a career-high 14.4 points, 5.1 rebounds and 1.8 steals. Additionally, the Celtics have posted a net rating of plus-5.3 points per 100 possessions with Crowder on the floor this season, per NBA.com's lineup data.