BOSTON – Well it sounds like Rajon Rondo will in fact sit out tonight’s Game 5 matchup between the Boston Celtics and the Chicago Bulls.
Chicago head coach Fred Hoiberg said Rondo (right thumb) and Cameron Payne will be on the team’s inactive list for tonight’s game.
Rondo suffered a right thumb injury in Game 2 and has not played for the Bulls since.
Shortly after the injury, the former Celtic said he was told by team doctors that it would be “a couple weeks” before he might have a shot at returning to the floor which under the best of circumstances, would have potentially returning for a Game 7 (if necessary).
While no one is shutting the door on a potential Game 6 return, Rondo didn’t sound all that optimistic.
“My thumb is the same as it was last week,” Rondo said this morning. “I think I’m wolverine, but it hasn’t healed that quickly yet.”
His absence has been sorely felt by the Bulls which jumped out to a 2-0 series lead with Rondo in the lineup.
Since his Game 2 injury, the Celtics won both Games 3 and 4 in Chicago to even the series up at two games apiece.
Hoiberg said the Bulls will start Isaiah Canaan who came off the bench in Game 4 to score 13 points.
While Canaan has seen limited action for the Bulls this season, Celtics head coach Brad Stevens is more familiar with the former Murray State star than he wishes.
“He torched a team I coached in 2010 and he was 18 years old,” said Stevens who was the head coach of Butler at the time. “So I know all about him.”
Stevens said when the Celtics learned that Canaan was going to be on the active roster, they immediately added him to the team’s edit video in preparation for Game 4.
“It made sense,” Stevens said. “We thought we may see him in that game. He came in here and played really well when he was with Philadelphia. He’s played well against us when he was with Houston in the past. They’re really aware of what he does and what he does well.”
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