Celtics' Nikola Vucevic: Undergoes successful surgery
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Vucevic underwent surgery Saturday to stabilize a fracture in his right ring finger and will be re-evaluated in 3-to-4 weeks.
Vucevic suffered the injury during the first quarter of Friday's 120-100 win over the Mavericks. The timeline will keep the veteran center sidelined until at least late March, so Luka Garza should step into a more prominent role in the rotation for as long as Vucevic is sidelined.
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Celtics' Nikola Vucevic: Undergoing surgery, out one month
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Vucevic will undergo surgery Saturday to repair a fractured right ring finger that he sustained during Friday's game against the Mavericks, and he will miss at least one month, Shams Charania of ESPN reports.
Vucevic ended up playing just two minutes in the first quarter before suffering the injury, and the procedure will keep him sidelined until at least early April. The veteran big man has been a key contributor off Boston's bench since being acquired from the Bulls in early February, but the good news for the Celtics is that they received a big boost with the return of Jayson Tatum (Achilles) on Friday. Luka Garza should serve as the first big man off the bench for the Celtics behind Neemias Queta until Vucevic is cleared to return.
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Celtics' Nikola Vucevic: Dealing with fractured finger
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Vucevic will not return to Friday's game against the Mavericks due to a fractured right ring finger. He logged no counting stats across two minutes.
Vucevic exited to the locker room with 4:21 remaining in the opening quarter after a brief appearance, and it's now been revealed that he sustained a fractured finger. Luka Garza will likely help pick up the slack while Vucevic is sidelined.
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Celtics' Nikola Vucevic: Exits to locker room
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Vucevic exited to the locker room in the first quarter of Friday's game against the Mavericks due to an apparent hand injury, Zack Cox of the Boston Herald reports.
Vucevic was seen getting his hand examined on the bench before exiting to the locker room after logging less than two minutes. The veteran center should be considered questionable to return until more information comes to light.
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Celtics' Nikola Vucevic: Moving to bench Wednesday
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Vucevic won't start Wednesday's game against the Hornets, Sean Grande of NBC Sports Boston reports.
With Neemias Queta (rest) back in the lineup, Vucevic will slide to the second unit. Over his last five appearances off the bench, the veteran big man has averaged 11.6 points, 8.6 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 21.8 minutes per contest.
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Celtics' Nikola Vucevic: Slated to start Monday
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Vucevic is in the starting lineup for Monday's game against the Bucks, Sean Grande of NBC Sports Boston reports.
With Neemias Queta resting, Vucevic will make his first start as a member of the Celtics. Through nine games with Boston, the big man is averaging 12.0 points and 8.6 rebounds while shooting 47.7 percent from the field and 40.0 percent from beyond the arc in 23.8 minutes per contest. Luka Garza and Amari Williams will provide center depth behind Vucevic for Monday's contest.
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Celtics' Nikola Vucevic: Second straight double-double
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Vucevic chipped in 11 points (4-9 FG, 3-6 3Pt), 12 rebounds and one block across 21 minutes during Sunday's 114-98 victory over the 76ers.
It's not surprising to see Vucevic record double-doubles in back-to-back games -- what's more impressive is that he's done it coming off the bench both times. It's unclear if Vucevic will move into the starting lineup at any point this season, but the veteran big man is finding ways to remain productive regardless of his role. Since making his debut with the Celtics on Feb. 6, Vucevic is averaging 12.0 points, 8.6 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 0.8 blocks in 23.8 minutes per game across nine outings off the bench.
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Celtics' Nikola Vucevic: Double-doubles vs. Brooklyn
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Vucevic supplied 28 points (9-13 FG, 3-3 3Pt, 7-7 FT), 11 rebounds, four assists and one steal over 25 minutes during the Celtics' 148-111 win over the Nets on Friday.
Vucevic struggled during the Celtics' four-game road trip, when he averaged 7.0 points and 6.3 rebounds over 22.8 minutes while connecting on just 39.4 percent of his field-goal attempts. He looked much better at TD Garden, scoring 10 and 11 points in the first and third quarters, respectively, while leading Boston in rebounds en route to his third double-double in eight games with the Celtics. Perhaps playing on the parquet floor was enough for Vucevic to break out of his recent slump, and the good news for him is that the Celtics will be at home for three of their next four games, starting with Sunday's Atlantic Division clash against the 76ers.
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Celtics' Nikola Vucevic: Another disappointing effort
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Vucevic notched two points (1-7 FG, 0-4 3Pt), eight rebounds and one assist in 23 minutes during Wednesday's 103-84 loss to the Nuggets.
Vucevic underwhelmed yet again, scoring fewer than 10 points for the fourth straight game. After a promising start to his tenure in Boston, Vucevic has struggled on both ends of the floor over the past week. In four games during that time, he has averaged just 7.0 points and 6.3 rebounds in 22.7 minutes per game. Unlike when he was in Chicago, his below-average defensive abilities are going to limit his opportunities, given that Boston has lofty expectations when compared to those of the Bulls.
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Celtics' Nikola Vucevic: Settling into bench role
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Vucevic ended Sunday's 111-89 victory over the Lakers with nine points (4-6 FG, 1-2 FT), eight rebounds and one steal in 21 minutes.
The star big man is still acclimating to his new surroundings in Boston, so fantasy managers should remain patient for the time being. Vucevic has averaged 11.8 points, 8.4 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1.0 steals in 25.3 minutes per contest in his last five games (zero starts), shooting 50.0 percent from the field.
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Celtics' Nikola Vucevic: Posts another double-double
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Vucevic racked up 19 points (7-12 FG, 4-5 3Pt, 1-2 FT), 11 rebounds, three assists, two blocks and one steal over 26 minutes during Wednesday's 124-105 victory over the Bulls.
It was a superb night for Vucevic, who recorded his second double-double in three games with Boston. More impressively, he sank four threes on 80 percent shooting from deep in the 19-point Celtics win. Vucevic has made a seamless transition to his new team so far, but he's playing fewer minutes.
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Celtics' Nikola Vucevic: Productive in Celtics debut
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Vucevic finished Friday's 98-96 win over the Heat with 11 points (4-8 FG, 0-1 3PT, 3-4 FT), 12 rebounds, four assists and two steals over 28 minutes.
Vucevic came off the bench in his Celtics debut, a role he hasn't filled since his rookie season with the 76ers during the 2011-12 campaign. The veteran center filled in nicely in his bench role, and while he looked to distribute more than score at times, he still managed to record a double-double while showing his energy on offense with six offensive rebounds. It'll be interesting to see whether Vucevic continues to operate in a reserve role, but if so, he and Payton Pritchard would combine to form a lethal duo off the bench for Boston.
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Celtics' Nikola Vucevic: Expected to come off bench
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Vucevic suggested that he will come off the bench for his Celtics debut Friday against the Heat, Jay King of The Athletic reports.
Vucevic has been an established starter in every season of his NBA career other than his rookie campaign with the 76ers in 2011-12. The Celtics' newest addition expressed his excitement Friday in joining his new team and relayed that he expects that his role in Boston will be different from what it has been for his career. That suggests that Neemias Queta will remain the Celtics' starting center for at least the short term, and with Vucevic coming off the bench, that will mean fewer rotational minutes will be available for the likes of Luka Garza, Amari Williams and Jordan Walsh.
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Celtics' Nikola Vucevic: Left off injury report for Friday
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Vucevic (recently traded) is not listed on the injury report for Friday's game against the Heat, Taylor Snow of the Celtics' official site reports.
Vucevic's absence from the Celtics' initial injury report signals that he's ready to make his team debut Friday following Tuesday's trade away from Chicago. The star big man figures to immediately jump right into the starting lineup, likely pushing Neemias Queta to the bench. Over his last 10 appearances before being dealt by the Bulls, Vucevic averaged 18.6 points, 7.9 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 1.1 blocks in 31.5 minutes per game.
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Celtics' Nikola Vucevic: Listed as out
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Vucevic (recently traded) will be unavailable for Wednesday's game against the Rockets.
Vucevic was dealt from Chicago to Boston on Tuesday, but he's not quite ready to make his Celtics debut. Once he's settled in with his new team, the veteran center is likely to supplant Neemias Queta in the starting lineup. Vucevic's next chance to play will come Friday against Miami.
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Celtics' Nikola Vucevic: Traded to Boston
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The Bulls traded Vucevic to the Celtics in exchange for Anfernee Simons on Tuesday, Shams Charania of ESPN reports. The teams also swapped second-round picks.
The Celtics have been linked to several centers around the NBA, and they finally found their guy. Vucevic and Simons are both on expiring contracts, making this an easy sell for both clubs. Vucevic will likely supplant Neemias Queta in the starting lineup in Boston, but he may see less usage with his new squad. Vucevic can be considered questionable to debut against the Rockets on Wednesday, as Tuesday's game against Dallas is out of the question.
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Bulls' Nikola Vucevic: Playing Sunday vs. Miami
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Vucevic (rest) is not listed on the injury report for Sunday's game against the Heat.
Vucevic sat out of the front end of the Bulls' back-to-back set with the Heat on Saturday, but the veteran big man will be available for Sunday's contest. He averaged 18.9 points, 9.6 rebounds, 4.9 assists, 1.6 threes and 1.1 blocks over 33.0 minutes per game in January.
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Bulls' Nikola Vucevic: Will not play Saturday
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Vucevic (rest) will not play Saturday against Miami.
Vucevic was previously listed as doubtful for Chicago, and he will end up sitting out the front end of this back-to-back set. With Jalen Smith (calf) also sidelined, the Bulls could lean more on Patrick Williams and Lachlan Olbrich.
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Bulls' Nikola Vucevic: Doubtful for Saturday
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Vucevic (rest) is doubtful to play Saturday versus the Heat.
Vucevic is expected to rest on the first leg of this upcoming back-to-back set, and managers can expect to get official confirmation on his status closer to tipoff. With Vucevic unavailable and Jalen Smith (calf) questionable, Matas Buzelis and Patrick Williams could be tapped to play some center minutes Saturday evening.
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Bulls' Nikola Vucevic: Fills stat sheet Wednesday
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Vucevic ended Wednesday's 113-110 loss to Indiana with 25 points (10-17 FG, 3-4 3Pt, 2-2 FT), nine rebounds, four assists, two blocks and one steal over 29 minutes.
Vucevic came just one rebound shy of recording what would've been a second straight double-double, but he delivered a strong outing anyway since he made his presence felt in each of the five major categories -- a feat he's achieved in three of his last five games. Over that stretch, Vucevic is averaging 17.6 points, 8.6 rebounds, 4.4 assists, 1.2 blocks and 0.8 steals per contest.
