The Celtics currently sit in second place of the Eastern Conference at 51-25 and with six games remaining in the regular season.
Following a 147-129 blowout victory over the Miami Heat Wednesday night to sweep the season-series 4-0, Jaylen Brown finished with 43 points, eight assists and Jayson Tatum recorded his first triple-double since returning from a torn Achilles with 25 points, 18 rebounds and 11 assists, while the Celtics set a franchise record by scoring 53 first-quarter points.
Still, with Boston rolling -- winning eight of their last 10 and the postseason quickly approaching, coach Joe Mazzulla and his team got some encouraging news and an update on Nikola Vučević while down in South Beach.
During C's shootaround, hours prior to their matchup with the Heat, Vučević went through a 3-on-3 workout session with rookie Hugo Gonzalez and assistant coaches -- which included defensive reps, physical contact, and passes all while using his injured right hand.
Vučević, who sustained a fractured right ring finger back on March 6 and underwent surgery the next day to stabilize the fracture, has been sidelined and Wednesday marked three-and-a half weeks since the procedure. The Celtics announced it would be three-to-four weeks as a timeline for re-evaluation.
"Obviously, the hardest part is that you don't get to play while the team does," Vučević said via an interview a few weeks ago. "It's been good to be around the guys. I miss being on the court and competing and the toughest part about athletes is when you're injured, you have to miss extended time."
It was reported that Vučević was getting an x-ray on March 28 to determine if he'd be clear for contact, so it's a good sign in the right direction to see the veteran big man back on the court in some compacity, even if the Celtics have not put a date on a potential return yet.
"He's getting better, as you saw in the workout today," Mazzulla told reporters Wednesday. "The most important thing is that he feels 100%. When he's ready, he'll come back, and we just want him back when he's ready to go. He's going to help us -- we obviously see the impact that he has on us as a player, especially last time we played Miami, he was huge."
In 12 games as a Celtic, Vučević is averaging 44.5% from the floor and 35.1% from deep while putting up 10.4 points and 7.2 rebounds per contest -- including one start. His return would add another weapon to a C's roster poised to make another run towards the NBA Finals. The 35-year-old has the ability to stretch the floor and shoot the 3 and can also score in the post.
"Vooch? He's been working his ass off," Tatum said Wednesday. "He'll be back soon, I hope."
Luka Garza has stepped up in Vučević's absence, converting on 63.8% from the field and 46.4% from long distance, while averaging 9.8 points in 17.8 minutes per contest -- including a 20-point performance on just nine field goal attempts for the Celtics in Monday's lost to the Atlanta Hawks.
It will be interesting over the next 10 days or so as the regular season winds down and Mazzulla's staff start to figure out and shorten their rotation for the playoffs if the frontcourt pieces of Neemias Queta, Garza and a returning Vučević at some point will fit -- as they all have earned playing time to contribute towards competing for a championship.
Joel Pavón
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