Is Robert Williams playing tonight against Brooklyn Nets?

The Boston Celtics have fared well in their 2022 NBA playoffs first round tie against the Brooklyn Nets without Robert Williams.

The second-seeded Celtics in the Eastern Conference have jumped to an early 2-0 series lead, taking full advantage of their home court. Despite a slow start to the season, the Celtics have carried on their impressive second-half form into the postseason.

Although they are firmly in the driver's seat, things could change in an instant, which is why Game 3 is important. Later tonight, the Celtics will take on the Nets at the Barclays Center, and fans would like to know if their starting big man will be available.

What is Robert Williams' status for tonight's game against Brooklyn Nets?

Robert Williams III (#44) of the Boston Celtics is defended by DeAndre' Bembry (#95) of the Brooklyn Nets

Williams is listed in the Celtics' injury report with a left knee meniscal tear. However, his status has been upgraded from 'out' to 'questionable'.

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The Texas A&M product hurt his knee on March 27 and had to undergo surgery. Fortunately, the extent of his injury is not one that has required him to be sidelined for several months.

When will Robert Williams return?

After a successful surgery, reports suggested Williams could return in four to six weeks. With Williams undergoing successful workouts and experiencing no setbacks in his recovery, The Athletic's Shams Charania has reported that he might return in Game 3 or 4 in this first round series.

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Although he is listed as questionable, there is a chance he could suit up tonight, but with limited minutes. If he does feature, he might be called from the bench, with 20-25 minutes being a realistic duration of his game time.

How does Robert Williams' absence impact the Boston Celtics?

While they have incredible talents in the roster, the Celtics' success has come from playing a brand of defense many did not think possible. In two games, the Celtics have made things extremely tough for Kevin Durant, arguably the league's best scorer.

Durant has struggled from the field (13-of-41) in both games and has not gotten any room to operate. The Celtics have been very physical with him, sending an extra body when necessary,

The Celtics have played superbly without Williams, but if he plays at the level he did before his injury, the Nets could have a lot more problems scoring. Williams is an elite-level rim protector, who averaged 2.2 blocks in the regular season. His contribution is immense at both ends of the floor.