CLEVELAND (AP) — Already missing All-Star forward Jaylen Brown because of a serious wrist injury, the Boston Celtics will also be without Kemba Walker and Marcus Smart when they play the reeling Cavaliers on Wednesday night in a game with playoff implications.
The Celtics said Walker will sit out as he continues to manage a left knee injury, and Smart is down with a bruised right calf.
Walker has not been playing back-to-back games all season.
Boston is currently in the No. 7 spot in the Eastern Conference standings and is trying to avoid the play-in tournament, which will involve teams 7-10.
The Celtics (35-34), who lost to Miami on Tuesday night and have dropped seven of 10, are three games behind the New York Knicks (38-31) for the No. 6 spot with three games remaining.
Brown is expected to miss the remainder of the season with a torn wrist ligament.
Walker scored 36 points in Boston’s regular-season home finale against the Heat. He also gave the Celtics and their fans a scare when he left in the opening two minutes with an apparent left shoulder injury after colliding with Bam Adebayo.
Walker, who has been a bright spot of late and appears to have some of his quickness back, couldn’t rally the Celtics as the Heat clinched a playoff spot.
The injury-ravaged Cavs have dropped 11 straight heading into their home finale.
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