Celtics’ Jae Crowder out two weeks with ankle sprain

Boston Celtics forward Jae Crowder will likely be out for at least two weeks after suffering a high ankle sprain against the Toronto Raptors on Friday, coach Brad Stevens said Sunday.

Boston Celtics forward Jae Crowder will likely be out for at least two weeks after suffering a high right ankle sprain in a 102–98 loss against the Houston Rockets on Friday, coach Brad Stevens said Sunday.

“There aren’t a ton of guys that can guard [power forwards] for long stretches or sometimes [centers] for long stretches, and Jae can do all that,” Stevens said via the Boston Globe. “So that’s one of the things that’s going to be quite a balancing act without him, and we’re going to have to have guys step up and play. We’ll probably end up playing a little more traditional because of that, and we’ll see.”

Crowder has been one of the most important pieces of an improved Celtics team this season, playing in all 66 games and leading the team with 1.8 steals per game. He is averaging career-highs in points (14.4) and rebounds (5.1).

The Celtics (39–27) are currently third in the Eastern Conference standings.