Kyrie Irving, Al Horford Won't Play vs. Nets with Back, Knee Injuries
The Boston Celtics announced point guard Kyrie Irving and center Al Horford will both miss Saturday's road game against the Brooklyn Nets at the Barclays Center because of injuries.
Irving is out with lower back soreness, while Horford is sidelined by left knee soreness.
It's the second game of a back-to-back situation for Boston, which scored a 114-112 victory over the Indiana Pacers on Friday night.
Irving scored a game-high 30 points to go along with five assists and three steals in the contest. Horford added 19 points and seven rebounds.
The 32-year-old post player, who's been on a rest plan during the stretch run of the regular season, said after beating Indiana he wasn't sure whether he'd be available Saturday, per Jay King of The Athletic.
Although the Celtics have clinched a postseason berth, they are still battling the Pacers for the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference and home-court advantage for their likely first-round meeting. It adds importance to the final six games of the campaign.
Boston doesn't have any more back-to-back sets on their schedule, which should increase the chances of Irving and Horford being active for the remaining games or until they clinch the No. 4 seed.
In the meantime, Terry Rozier should see the biggest uptick in playing time at the point, while Aron Baynes and Robert Williams get more run at center against the Nets.
