Kemba Walker listed as doubtful for Celtics-Kings with neck sprain

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On Friday night against the Denver Nuggets, Kemba Walker suffered a scary-looking injury. Walker had to be stretchered off the floor after colliding with his teammate, Semi Ojeleye, and crumpling to the floor.

In the aftermath of the game, the Celtics confirmed that Walker was dealing with "concussion-like symptoms" but he was able to fly home with the team.

On Sunday, the team provided further clarity about Walker's status moving forward. Per NBC Sports Boston's Chris Forsberg, Walker will be listed as doubtful with a neck sprain ahead of the team's Monday-night game against the Sacramento Kings.

All things considered, this is good news for the Celtics. The fact that he's only listed as "doubtful" and not "out" could indicate that Walker's recovery timeline could be quicker than anticipated. His status will bear watching in the coming weeks, but at the very least, the injury doesn't seem to be as severe as it looked when it initially occurred.

Expect the Celtics to be cautious with Walker. While he is their best player, the team won't want to risk seeing his injury worsen, especially considering that he has been dealing with a neck issue since the summer. It will be interesting to see how long Walker ultimately ends up being out if he does, in fact, miss Monday's game.

With Walker out, Brad Wanamaker will likely step into a bigger role with the Celtics offense. The backup point guard had a great west coast road trip and is averaging 7.1 points, 2.8 assists, and 1.9 rebounds off the bench so far this season.

Ojeleye, who played extensively after Walker left in the Celtics' loss to the Nuggets, also figures to see an uptick in minutes. He started the second half of the Nuggets game in place of Kemba.

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Don’t miss NBC Sports Boston's coverage of Celtics-Kings, which tips off Monday at 7 p.m. ET with Celtics Pregame Live, then Mike & Tommy have the call of the game at 7:30 p.m. You can also stream the game through the MyTeams App.

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