NBA All-Star Weekend was mostly a success. That’s the case even if you don’t count the dunk contest, which despite the controversial outcome still blessed us with two of the most memorable performances in recent memory. Most important, the main event itself lived up to its hype with the major changes that were implemented to make the game more watchable.
What we got was arguably the most competitive All-Star Game ever, with everyone involved embracing the new format and fighting tooth and nail for the respective charities that figured to benefit from the night. For some casual viewers, you might’ve thought you were tuning into a playoff game with the way players were battling over every possession and sacrificing their bodies.
In that sense, the pendulum may have swung a little too far back toward competitiveness. After all, the main goal of the weekend is for nobody to get hurt. This is why it was so alarming to find out that Kemba Walker will be forced to miss his first game after the break on Friday night and that he actually needed to have his kneed drained after playing big minutes in Chicago.
Stevens said kemba had his Knee drained and had an injection to reduce swelling after All-Star game.
— Adam Himmelsbach (@AdamHimmelsbach) February 21, 2020
The Celtics are scheduled to play the Timberwolves on Friday night in Minnesota, and it’s not clear whether Walker traveled with the team. At 38-16 on the season, the Celtics are currently third in the East and just a game and a half behind the Toronto Raptors.
The good news is that they can afford for Walker to miss some time and get his body right before the postseason rolls around, but this is still brutal news for one of Boston’s two All-Stars. Celtics coach Brad Stevens said they certainly would’ve taken more precaution if they knew about the issue and held him out of the All-Star Game.
Brad Stevens says the Celtics had to drain some swelling in Kemba Walker’s sore knee. He says Kemba wouldn’t have played in the All-Star game if they knew this was possible. He’s out tonight, not sure going forward.
— Tom Westerholm (@Tom_NBA) February 21, 2020
However, he did go on to say that the injury isn’t expected to sideline him for significant time.
Stevens says Walker’s injury is “short-term enough” that an appearance in the Lakers’ game is still possible, although he hasn’t asked the medical staff about it yet.
— Tom Westerholm (@Tom_NBA) February 21, 2020
The Celtics will visit the Lakers in Los Angeles on Sunday for an afternoon matinee.
