Boston center Al Horford is available for game two of the NBA Eastern Conference finals on Thursday after clearing Covid protocols, the Celtics said hours before the game.
Horford abruptly entered the league’s health and safety protocols shortly before the Celtics 118-107 game one loss on Tuesday.
He was upgraded to doubtful for game two on Wednesday before progressing from “questionable” to “available” on game day.
The Celtics also hoped to have Defensive Player of the Year Marcus Smart back after he missed game one with a foot sprain suffered in the series-clinching win over the Milwaukee Bucks.
Celtics coach Ime Udoka said Thursday morning Smart was “better” but still would have to test his foot pre-game.
“He’s probable,” Udoka said. “He looked better in shootaround (Thursday) and overall we expect him to play.”
Derrick White, who started game one in place of Smart, will miss the game for personal reasons — to be with his wife for the birth of their baby.
“It came sooner than expected,” Udoka said. “But we support our guys always in that situation. He had to rush home today.”
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