Kyrie's surgery goes ‘exactly as planned'

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WALTHAM, Mass. – Celtics guard Kyrie Irving underwent successful surgery to remove two screws in his left patella.

The screws were inserted in 2015 when the five-time All-Star suffered a fractured kneecap injury in the NBA Finals with the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Irving also had a tension wired inserted during that 2015 surgery, but the wire had recently been giving Irving some discomfort and it was removed on March 24.

Pathology tests were performed on the tension wire upon its removal, and it was discovered that there was a bacterial infection, which raised concerns about whether it had spread.

After speaking with a number of experts on the matter, a mutual decision was made between Irving and the Celtics to have an additional procedure to remove the screws to better ensure that there’s no lingering infection.

Upon removal of the tension wire, the earliest timetable for Irving to begin basketball-related activities would have been at the eve of the playoffs, which begin next week.

Now, since the screws have been removed, Irving is out for the playoffs with a recovery time now pegged at four to five months.

“The surgery went exactly as planned, and we expect Kyrie to be fully healthy for training camp in the fall,” said Danny Ainge, Celtics president of basketball operations.

Irving’s season came to an end after he played 60 games in his first season in Boston. He averaged a team-best 24.4 points per game, along with 5.1 assists and 3.8 rebounds.

He joins Gordon Hayward (left ankle) and Daniel Theis (torn meniscus, left knee) among the Celtics to suffer season-ending injuries.

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