Tatum joins list of ailing Green
CELTICS NOTEBOOK
Perhaps they’re getting it all out of the way now, but roughly half a day after Al Horford was placed in the NBA’s concussion protocol, Jayson Tatum left last night’s game in the second quarter with right ankle soreness.
According to Celtics coach Brad Stevens, the rookie forward will have an MRI today, after the team’s medical staff took an X-ray of the ankle last night. In what has been described as a precautionary measure, Tatum is wearing a therapeutic walking boot.
“He’s got a sore right ankle, and he’s going to have more imaging (today), at which point they’ll let us know what they find in that,” Stevens said after the Celtics’ 107-96 win over the Lakers. “I don’t know anything else. He must’ve felt it at some point, right there, right before he came out he asked to be taken out. And then went back (into the locker room) and they ruled him out for the rest of the game. He’s in a walking boot to be safe . . . and then he’ll be reexamined (today).”
Another red flag popped up with Marcus Morris, who reported that his left knee soreness has flared up again.
“Pretty sore. Today was more sore than others,” he said. “My minutes restriction for the time being is at 22 to 25 minutes, just trying to see how it responds game to game, and if it’s going to be bearable or worse. It’s pretty sore. Probably more sore today.”
Asked if he was prepared to miss more time, Morris said, “I can’t. You know, as long as nothing is wrong with it, but mentally I won’t allow myself.”
Headache for Horford
Horford understands better than most that his return date is anyone’s guess. Horford missed nine games last season to a concussion between Nov. 2-18, making this a frustrating way to celebrate the year anniversary.
The cause last season was an inadvertent hit in the face by former teammate Jonas Jerebko, with Horford reporting a nauseous feeling not long after. This time he was hit in the face by the Hawks’ Kent Bazemore on Monday night.
Horford finished the game, played well, and didn’t feel any symptoms for approximately 24 hours.
But he woke up with a headache yesterday.
“I didn’t get any of the descriptions of the symptoms other than headaches. And that was something that our medical staff was making sure they were on,” Stevens said of the monitoring of Horford even before the symptoms showed up.
“(The trainers said) ‘Let us know how you feel ASAP. And if any of these things occur, please let us know, because we didn’t have anything this morning. So he talked to them this morning and it was described as a headache to me. But I don’t know if there were additional symptoms.”
Father knows best?
As much as Lakers rookie Lonzo Ball has been booed across the league — the point guard received his fair share from the Garden crowd — his fellow players are on his side.
And we’re not just talking about his Lakers teammates.
As Morris and Kyrie Irving noted, many kids would love to have a father as loud and proud of them as LaVar Ball is of his son.
“He’s just a supportive father, man. Some guys are in the front line speaking for their kids, some parents are on the back line,” said Irving. “It’s just like the loud parent at the graduation, clapping unbelievably loud. You know we all have our different styles of parents. I think everybody just needs to appreciate their own. He’s in the NBA, he’s living out the dream. Hopefully his family is living out the dream as well. Coming into this league, this is all created by a lot of outside influence. When I get out on the floor, all of that goes out the window. He’s just another competitor I’m trying to get a win on and I’m glad we came out with the win. Going against him was fun tonight.”
Said Morris: “He’s a good kid, just his dad has a big mouth. Everybody knows it. I mean, it’s not a bad thing. I mean, if I had my dad, I think he’d be like that too. If anybody loves you, it’s going to be your father, he’s always going to show tough love. I mean, he’s pretty good. His dad probably thinks he’s better, which he should.
“But he has a long time in the league, he’s a young guy, it kind of sucks he has to go everywhere and they’re just booing him and booing him and booing him. He’s a regular player like the rest of us. I think it’s more of the Celtics and the Lakers relationship.
“Hopefully that doesn’t happen everywhere, but if it does, man, I guess he should just talk to his father. “