The Boston Celtics’ matchup against the Dallas Mavericks on Friday, March 6, had a lot of hype surrounding it. The game marked the return of the veteran forward, Jayson Tatum.
Unfortunately, the Celtics were hit with an unfortunate injury blow early on in the matchup.
The veteran center Nikola Vucevic left the game after seeing the court for just two minutes. Not long after he went back to the locker room, it was reported that Vucevic suffered a notable injury.
via Shams Charania, ESPN: Boston Celtics center Nikola Vucevic has sustained a fractured right ring finger.
Vucevic was ruled out of the game during the second quarter. He didn’t register a single stat while on the court.
*UPDATE: Nikola Vucevic will undergo surgery on Saturday, March 7, to repair his fractured finger, according to Shams Charania. He is expected to miss around one month.
Friday’s action marked the 12th matchup with the Celtics for Vucevic. He continued coming off the bench.
GettyDuring the Boston Celtics’ Friday night matchup against the Dallas Mavericks, the veteran center Nikola Vucevic went down with an injury. He was ruled out for the remainder of the game. His status moving forward is unknown for now.
Leading up to Friday’s game, the veteran center had just one start under his belt in Boston. He was averaging 23.5 minutes per game. While shooting 44% from the field and knocking down 35% of his threes, Vucevic produced 11.4 points per game. He is nearly averaging a double-double with the Celtics by coming down with 7.8 rebounds per game.
Boston Celtics Added Nikola Vucevic With Title Hopes
GettyThe Chicago Bulls cut ties with Nikola Jokic this season, sending him to the Boston Celtics.
The Chicago Bulls finally accepted the fact that it was time to rebuild this year ahead of the deadline.
While Vucevic has been a solid player in their lineup for the past few years, he hasn’t been able to contribute to a winning situation. This year was the final season on Vucevic’s contract. In 2023, he signed a three-year deal with the Bulls. He is going to wrap up the duration with $60 million from it.
Seeing as though Vucevic is a 35-year-old on the last season of his contract, he was a prime trade candidate out of a rebuilding situation in Chicago.
The Celtics figured Jayson Tatum would be back, and their record told them they were contenders. In need of a frontcourt update, the Celtics acquired Vucevic and a 2027 second-round pick in exchange for Anfernee Simons and a 2026 second-round pick.
The two-time All-Star left Chicago after appearing in 48 games this season. With the Bulls, Vucevic was shooting 50% from the field and 37% from beyond the arc to average 16.9 points per game. He also came down with 9.0 rebounds per game. Beyond this season, Vucevic averaged a double-double in five runs with the Bulls. He’s been one of the most consistent centers in the game.
via @SIChrisMannix: Nikola Vucevic has a fractured right finger, per Celtics. He’s done for the night. And that’s a potentially huge injury for a team with an already thin front line.
Going into Friday’s action against the Mavericks, the Celtics brought Tatu, back with a 41-21 record in early March. Despite the early “gap year” narrative, the Celtics have exceeded expectations. They sit second in the Eastern Conference, trailing the Detroit Pistons by 4.5 games.
UPDATE: Celtics’ Nikola Vucevic Hit With Major Injury Blow vs Mavs