The Boston Celtics have delivered a major boost to their playoff preparations, officially listing center Nikola Vucevic as questionable for Sunday’s matchup against the Toronto Raptors.
Vucevic has been sidelined for nearly a month after suffering a fractured right ring finger, but the latest injury report signals he could be on the verge of a return. This marks the first time since his injury that the veteran big man has been upgraded from “out” to questionable.
Vucevic, acquired from the Chicago Bulls at the trade deadline, appeared in just 12 games for Boston before the injury struck. In that limited action, he averaged 10.4 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 1.8 assists while shooting 44.5% from the field in 21.7 minutes per game.
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He underwent surgery shortly after the injury, which occurred just two minutes into a win over the Dallas Mavericks in early March. The initial timeline called for a reevaluation in three to four weeks, and that window has now arrived.
Recent signs have been encouraging. Vucevic was spotted participating in an on-court workout before the Celtics’ recent dominant victory over the Miami Heat. Head coach Joe Mazzulla offered a positive update on his progress.
“He’s getting better, as you saw in the workout today,” Mazzulla said. “The most important thing is that he feels 100%. When he’s ready, he’ll come back, and we just want him back when he’s ready to go. He’s going to help us — we obviously see the impact that he has on us as a player, especially last time we played Miami, he was huge.”
No other players appear on Boston’s injury report for the Raptors game, giving the Celtics a near-healthy roster as they push toward the postseason.
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In addition to the promising Vucevic news, the Celtics made another roster move on Saturday, signing wing Ron Harper Jr. to a new two-year contract. The former two-way player has earned a full-time deal after impressing in both NBA and G League action.
Harper has appeared in 22 games this season (including three starts), averaging 3.4 points, 1.6 rebounds, and 0.7 assists in 10.3 minutes per game. The added guard/wing depth provides valuable insurance as Boston aims for another deep playoff run.
The Celtics currently sit at 52-25, holding the second spot in the Eastern Conference. They have been rolling lately, going 8-2 in their last 10 games.
With Vucevic potentially returning and Harper locked in for the long term, Boston appears to be dropping a timely bombshell just as the regular season winds down — strengthening their frontcourt and rotation at a critical moment.