Just when it looked like the Celtics would be able to move on from all of last week's wheeling and dealing with a little continuity, the injury bug jumped up and bit them again.
During informal workouts on Sunday in Salt Lake City, where the Celts are to take on the Utah Jazz Monday night, guard Delonte West, just three games back from missing 39 games with a broken wrist, sprained his right ankle. West will miss tonight's game and is questionable for Wednesday night's game against the Phoenix Suns at TD Garden. West posted nine points, five assists and three rebounds in 19 minutes during Saturday night's 99-92 win over the Clippers, easily his best performance since returning from the wrist injury.
Elsewhere, the Celts bounced back strong against the Clippers from their loss last Thursday in Denver, a defeat that came just hours after the team traded away starting center Kendrick Perkins and reserve guard Nate Robinson to Oklahoma City. The players the C's got back in that deal, swingman Jeff Green and center Nenad Krstic, acquitted themselves well in the win over L.A., particularly Krstic, who scored nine points and grabbed six rebounds, all on the offensive glass, in 21 minutes. Green has fared well against the Jazz this season, scoring 37 points on 13-of-23 from the floor in two games for the Thunder. Aside from all the drama surrounding the trade deadline dealings, the Celts have won four of their last five games and look to close out this post- All-Star break, West Coast trip with a 3-1 mark.
The Jazz also made a massive deal last week, trading franchise point guard Deron Williams to the New Jersey Nets for point guard Devin Harris and rookie big man Derrick Favors. The trade of Williams came just two weeks after 23-year Utah coach Jerry Sloan abruptly resigned, with many pundits pointing to Williams as the main catalyst in that decision. The Jazz have lost six of seven and 15 of 20, falling from third in the Western Conference standings all the way to ninth, putting them on the outside of the current playoff picture.
The Celtics (42-15) look to close out their road trip on a high note when they take on the Jazz (32-28) at Energy Solutions Arena in Salt Lake City tonight at 9 p.m. EST, on Comcast Sports Net New England and NBA TV.