Celtics' Kyrie Irving Ruled Out For Tuesday's Crucial Game Vs. 76ers
BOSTON (CBS) -- The Celtics have a crucial game in Philadelphia on Tuesday night, but will once again be without their best player.
Kyrie Irving has already been ruled out of Tuesday night's contest, Celtics head coach Brad Stevens announced following Monday's practice in Brighton. Irving is considered day-to-day with a right knee sprain he suffered during Saturday night's embarrassing loss to the Los Angeles Clippers, but Stevens would not say whether or not his star point would be available for Wednesday's game against the Pistons in Boston.
Tuesday night will be the 10th game Irving has missed this season. Boston is 7-2 without him this season, though most of those wins have come against teams at the bottom of the NBA barrel.
Irving is having a career-year for Boston this season, averaging a team-high 23.6 points off 50 percent shooting and 41 percent shooting from downtown, to go with career-highs in both assists (6.9) and rebounds (4.9).
The Celtics have dropped back-to-back games and are back in the fifth-seed in the Eastern Conference, one game behind the 76ers.