Aron Baynes Went To The Locker Room With An Ankle Injury Against The Sixers

The Boston Celtics have been an up-and-down squad all season, which is why they currently reside in the fifth spot in the East despite being preseason favorites in the conference.

Even so, Boston has owned the Sixers for the last two years, beating them in the second round last year and entered Wednesday night’s matchup at 3-0 on the season agains their rivals in Philly. Midway through the second quarter, it appeared like it would be more of the same as the Celtics ran out to a double-digit lead on the road against the Sixers.

Unfortunately for the Celtics, that’s also when they saw one of their key role players go down, as Aron Baynes limped to the locker room after landing awkwardly on a block attempt. Baynes came down on Marcus Smart’s foot and rolled his ankle.

The big man stayed down for a bit before getting up and limping to the locker room. The Celtics announced he suffered a left ankle injury and would not return to the game.

While Baynes is a bench player, he’s been crucial to the Celtics’ success this season, as they’ve been at their best with him in the lineup. Baynes’ 9.3 net rating this season is the best among all Celtics that have played more than 10 minutes, and his impact is especially felt on the defensive end where Boston posts a 99.3 defensive rating when he’s on the floor, compared to a 106.5 when he’s not. While Baynes may not be the first player to come to mind when thinking of key Celtics, his presence is critical to them being at their peak this season, so they will hope this won’t linger.

UPDATE: Baynes has been officially diagnosed with a Grade 2 ankle sprain, with no official timetable set for his return.