Crowder (family reasons) out vs. Blazers, Smart will start

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The seemingly always short-handed Boston Celtics just got a little thinner in the starting lineup with the news that Jae Crowder will not play tonight against the Portland Trail Blazers.

Head coach Brad Stevens announced shortly before the game that Crowder was not with the team because of family health reasons back in Dallas.

Stevens said Crowder left today and it’s unclear when he will rejoin the team which is in the middle of a West coast trip.

“We’ll see if he’ll rejoin us in Utah,” Stevens said.

Family issues have a way of weighing on the minds of players no matter how much they try to not think about it.

In Boston’s loss at Portland on Wednesday night, Crowder missed all six shots from the field and finished with four points.

It was the second time this season Crowder missed every shot he took from the field (zero points, 0-for-4 shooting against Philadelphia, Jan. 6).

Prior to Wednesday’s loss, Crowder had scored 11 or more points in 13 consecutive games which was a first for the fifth-year forward.

Replacing Crowder in the starting lineup will be Marcus Smart who will be making his 18th start of the season.

With the first group this season, Smart has averaged 11.4 points, 4.1 rebounds and 4.4 assists while shooting 37.4 percent from the field and 30.1 percent on 3’s.

In addition to Crowder, the Celtics will continue to be without Avery Bradley (right Achilles).

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