BOSTON, (Reuters) – Boston Celtics forward Kevin Garnett is unlikely to feature in the playoffs for the NBA champions because of a knee injury, coach Doc Rivers said on Thursday.
“He is not going to be ready (for tomorrow’s playoff opener against the Chicago Bulls),” Rivers told Boston’s WEEI radio. “There is no way he can play.
“After going through all the rehab and looking so good last week … to where he’s at today, if he can’t get through biking and working out without swelling and stiffness, I just don’t know how he can play in the playoffs.”
Garnett, the former league Most Valuable Player, has had a sore right knee since mid-February and has made several aborted returns.
Rivers wanted Garnett to play in the final batch of regular-season games but in the end decided to leave out his All-Star forward in the hope he would be fit for the post-season.
Garnett averaged 15.8 points and 8.5 rebounds in 57 games this season.
Acquired from the Minnesota Timberwolves in 2007, he helped transform the Celtics into a championship team and led Boston to its 17th NBA title last season.
