Kyrie Irving has been ruled out for Tuesday's matchup against the Cleveland Cavaliers due to load management. Getting a night off on the heels of a four-game losing streak is not the best timing for Boston, but it should not come as a surprise that the point guard will get some rest against the easiest opponent remaining on the Celtics schedule.
Irving struggled mightily on Sunday night against the Spurs on the second half of back-to-back, scoring just 11 points in 33 minutes on 5-of-17 FG. It was his worst scoring output in more than a month and came on the heels of several double-double performances during the month of March. Irving talked about prioritizing rest over seeding in the final weeks of the regular season last Wednesday.
“It just makes no sense to put emphasis on these regular-season games when you know you’re gearing up for some battles coming in the playoffs," Irving said.
Stevens did not commit to resting Irving after the Spurs game but acknowledged the team has put a heavy burden on the point guard lately.
"The original plan that we did have, we were trying to avoid back-to-backs, so it was going to be one of two," Stevens said of Horford's recent time off. "But his knee was a little bit more sore after the Philly game and, nothing major, nothing long-term, and there’s a chance that he would play Tuesday, but we felt like the extra day and a week between games – or almost a week between games – is better."
Jayson Tatum is also questionable after taking a hard fall on his side during Saturday's loss to the Hornets. He's received treatment over the past few days and Stevens remain optimistic that the 21-year-old would be able to travel to Cleveland for a matchup against a Cavs team that has been playing respectable basketball lately (7-9 since the All-Star Break).
Robert Williams remains doubtful with a lower back contusion also suffered during the Hornets game. If he and Horford can't go, would expect Greg Monroe to get a shot off the Boston bench to match up against Tristan Thompson on the glass. Terry Rozier should get the nod at starting point guard per usual with Irving out.