Celtics injury report: Robert Williams upgraded for Thursday’s game vs. Bucks

MILWAUKEE — The Celtics will be close to full strength on Thursday night as they attempt to make up ground in the race for No. 1 seed in the East, with the Bucks. Joe Mazzulla said Robert Williams (knee injury management will play for the nationally televised matchup on the front end of the back-to-back.

Grant Williams (non-COVID illness) will also be active according to the Celtics coach. Payton Pritchard (heel pain) remains questionable while Danilo Gallinari is still out as he continues his rehab from an ACL tear.

Rob Williams returned to the floor for the Celtics from a hamstring injury back on March 21 and has played in four games since returning. He’s come off the bench in all of those contests and the team has steadily ramped up his minutes ahead of the start of the postseason in two weeks.

Grant Williams also dealt with a non-COVID illness against the Wizards on Tuesday night but still played his regular minutes in that matchup. Pritchard returned from a nine-game absence in Tuesday’s loss as well and looked solid in his nine minutes fourth quarter stint in the blowout loss.

The Celtics will take on a Bucks squad that is fully healthy outside of a calf injury for Meyers Leonard. Milwaukee rested several players (Joe Ingles, Khris Middleton) for the front end of their back-to-back in a comfortable win over the Pacers on Wednesday night.

Boston trails Milwaukee by three full games in the standings entering Thursday’s contest but could clinch the season tiebreaker with a victory. The team also plays a back-to-back against the Utah Jazz on Friday night in Boston and could be very shorthanded for that one since Al Horford and Robert Williams have not played in back-to-back games for he vast majority of the year.

©2023 Advance Local Media LLC. Visit masslive.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.