NEW YORK -- Boston Celtics forward Jae Crowder expects to undergo an MRI after experiencing tingling and swelling in his left elbow during a 110-94 triumph over the New York Knicks on Sunday at Madison Square Garden.
Crowder said that swelling appeared on the inside of his elbow and he left the game late in the third quarter. Crowder got X-rays at the arena and those came back negative, suggesting no structural damage, but Crowder said he's likely to undergo further testing in Boston.
"It started tingling. Not really, like, excruciating pain. It was just a weird-type feeling," said Crowder, who checked out of the game late in the third quarter and couldn't recall a specific play on which he might have hurt himself. "I've never had anything happen like that to my elbow, so I got an X-ray. The X-ray was OK but I'll probably get an MRI when I get back to Boston.
"How concerned am I? I mean, I'm worried about it. I want to see what they say. The X-ray said pretty much nothing structural, so that was a good sign. But it was weird. The doctor was saying it was weird, too. Just swelling on the inside of my elbow. I don't know what it is."
Celtics coach Brad Stevens said he was uncertain about the specifics on the injury and noted, "I don't know if he did the bursa or whatever," and was waiting for additional information from the team's medical staff.
The injury leaves Crowder's status uncertain for Wednesday's showdown with the Cavaliers. With Sunday's win, Boston has guaranteed itself to be no worse than tied with Cleveland when it visits in a game that could go a long way toward deciding who will earn the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference.
Crowder said he's confident in his teammates if he can't go on Wednesday.
"For sure. I 100 percent trust in my teammates," said Crowder. "We've been picking the slack up as a group. We'll figure it out. If I can't go, I'm sure we can get it done still."
The Celtics have had their preferred starting lineup available for only 32 games this season and own a 28-4 record in those games.
Avery Bradley, battling a recurrence of the stomach bug, missed his 27th game of the season on Sunday. Stevens said before Sunday's game that he expects Bradley to practice Tuesday and that would likely position him for a return during Wednesday's game.
Rookie Jaylen Brown started his 20th game of the season on Sunday and would be a top option to fill Crowder's starting spot if Crowder is unable to suit up.