Boston Celtics

Robert Williams listed as questionable for Game 1 vs. Nets, but reportedly expected to play

Williams has missed five of the last seven games due to turf toe.

It appears the Celtics will have Robert Williams for Game 1 against the Nets.

By Conor Roche

1 minute to read

The Celtics may have Robert Williams available for their first playoff game against the Nets.

The team listed the center as questionable for Game 1 due to turf toe, but he’s expected to play Saturday night, Stadium’s Shams Charania reported. Williams didn’t practice on Thursday and Friday, Celtics coach Brad Stevens told reporters.

Williams has missed five of the Celtics’ last seven games due to turf toe and has been dealing with it since at least May 5. He did play and start in the Celtics’ Play-In game Tuesday, but he reaggravated the injury following a collision with Jayson Tatum in the second quarter. Even though he returned for the start of the second half, Williams left the game just moments later and didn’t return.

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In addition to leaving Tuesday’s game early, he left the May 9 game against the Heat early, which was the last game he played in prior to Tuesday’s win over the Wizards.

Williams has been a key player to any of the success the Celtics have had over the last couple of months. After he assumed the starting center spot following the March 25 trade deadline, the Celtics have gone 11-3 in games Williams starts. Williams is averaging 9.5 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 3.1 assists on 23.7 minutes per game as a starter.

Williams has played against the Nets just once this season, scoring only two points on 1-of-4 shooting in a 12-point loss for the Celtics on March 11. He did have a whopping six blocks in just 16 minutes of action in that game.

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The only other Celtics player on the injury report is star Jaylen Brown, who is out for the season after having wrist surgery earlier this month.

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