Kyrie Irving to sit out against the Wolves with eye injury

The Celtics will commence 2019 without their All-Star Kyrie Irving when they host the Minnesota Timberwolves tonight at the TD Garden.

Irving suffered an eye injury during the Celtics 120-111 loss on New Year's Eve when he and Spurs guard Marco Belinelli both tried to grab a rebound midway through the fourth quarter. Belinelli swatted the ball while hitting Irving in the eye.

"I'm wearing sunglasses, I'll be all right, though," said Irving. "[He] smacked the s--- out of me. He just caught me pretty good."

Irving, who initially got hit in both eyes, briefly left the game with 7:22 remaining, but returned with 4:37 left to play, managing to only score two points the rest of the way, while also recording a steal.

Coach Brad Stevens was not sure how much time Irving would miss, after it was said that the Celtics guard had a scratched left cornea.

"Kyrie has a scratched eye," Stevens said. "So he'll have antibiotics for that. I don't know what that means beyond tonight.

"We watched film for an hour and a half in my office yesterday, and he was wearing sunglasses. He's not doing so hot once he takes those sunglasses off."

Boston (21-15) will also be without Aron Baynes (left fourth metacarpal fracture) and rookie Robert Williams (left groin), while for the Wolves, forward Robert Covington (ankle) and guards Derrick Rose (ankle) and Jeff Teague (ankle) will sit out Wednesday night.



Joel Pavón
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Photo used is courtesy of The Associated Press