Only five games are left in the Boston Celtics’ regular season, a season that will include the playoffs for the second year in a row.
However, it is unclear whether Boston’s quest to close out the season on a good note will include Evan Turner.
Once back in town, Turner’s injury was confirmed as a left eye abrasion by Dr. Michael Goldstein and Dr. Caroline Baumal at New England Baptist Hospital on Monday.
The 6-foot-6 Turner suffered a left eye injury in the closing seconds of Boston’s 107-100 win over the Los Angeles Lakers which clinched the Celtics’ playoff berth.
He was attempting to grab a loose ball when Lakers forward Julius Randle inadvertently hit him in the face.
After holding the left side of his face for a few seconds, Turner rose to his feet and sprinted towards the locker room with Celtics head trainer Ed Lacerte not far behind.
The potential absence of Turner deprives Boston of a player who has proven himself to arguably be their most versatile performer as well as their most reliable reserve.
Boston Celtics
Turner’s play this season will surely get him some serious consideration for the league’s Sixth Man of the Year award.
But even when called upon to be a starter, Turner’s impact is still great for Boston.
In the win over the Lakers, Turner was in the starting lineup in place of Avery Bradley who left the team for personal reasons.
Turner had 17 points to go with four rebounds and four assists.
This season, Turner has played in all 77 games this season, averaging 10.5 points, 4.4 assists and 4.9 rebounds per game.
Within those 77 games were 12 starts in which Turner averaged 15.0 points, 6.0 rebounds and 3.7 assists while shooting 51 percent from the field and 50 percent on 3s.