Brad Stevens: It's 'Killing' Kyrie Irving to Miss Playoffs with Knee Injury

As his Boston Celtics battle with his former team in the 2018 Eastern Conference Finals, Kyrie Irving has to sit back and watch from the sideline.

And it hasn't been easy for him.

Boston coach Brad Stevens made it clear ahead of Game 5 that Irving—who underwent season-ending surgery in April—wants to be on the court with his teammates, per Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com: "It's killing him not to be out on the floor, but I think that would be the case, obviously, any time you're playing this deep into the playoffs, especially in a new place."

Irving averaged 24.4 points, 5.1 assists and 3.8 rebounds in his first season with the Celtics. The 26-year-old point guard, however, was limited to 60 games. His final appearance of the season came on March 11.

"His recovery's gone great, and we're excited about that," Stevens said, per Vardon. "But he seems to be in a good place."

Missing any game would eat at any competitor. But with a spot in the NBA Finals is on the line and his former team the only thing standing in the way, that surely adds to Irving's frustration.

Going head-to-head with LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers in the postseason would have given Irving, who was once a Finals hero for the Cavs, a chance to silence those who criticized him for requesting a trade last offseason. 

Irving is not alone in feeling the pain of being shelved during the playoffs, though. All-Star forward Gordon Hayward is also out after fracturing his left tibia and dislocating his ankle in his first game after signing a max contract with Boston last year.