Already down in their series with the Milwaukee Bucks, the Boston Celtics are going to be without their starting center in Game 4.
Robert Williams III will miss the game at Fiserv Forum due to left knee soreness, the team announced. It's the same knee Time Lord tweaked in late March which caused him to miss the final seven games of the regular season and first two contests against the Brooklyn Nets after having surgery on a torn meniscus.
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SIGN UP HERE Williams returned for the final two games of the Nets series off the bench, playing about 15 minutes a night, before re-joining the starting lineup for the Milwaukee series. He's played about 24 minutes a night against the Bucks, averaging 8.7 points, 5.7 rebounds and 2.7 blocks over three games.
Daniel Theis figures to draw the start in place of Time Lord in Game 4. Over the first three games of the Eastern Conference semifinals vs. Milwaukee, Theis has played only 6:43 and was inactive in Game 2.
Boston trails, the series, 2-1.
"He had some soreness today, it just kind of flared up kind of out of nowhere," Celtics coach Ime Udoka said. " He didn't really feel anything yesterday or during [Game 3]."
Udoka said that Williams has felt soreness on other occasions since returning from the surgery, but has been able to play through it. The decision to sit Williams was made during warmups prior to Game 4, Udoka said.
"It's not unexpected to have this after a surgery," Udoka said. "Just a little more irritated today than usual."