The Celtics upgraded Williams to questionable for Saturday’s Game 3 in Brooklyn and, barring a setback, there is hope within the organization that Williams can play a limited role in a return to the court.

The Celtics upgraded Williams to questionable for Saturday’s Game 3 in Brooklyn and, barring a setback, there is hope within the organization that Williams can play a limited role in a return to the court.

The Celtics will tread cautiously with reintegrating Williams, but there is no fear that an expedited return might aggravate his knee ailment.  

As long as Williams doesn’t experience inflammation or irritation after his ramped-up activity, he should be his usual high-flying self on the court.

Williams’ return feels a bit like the final infinity stone for a Celtics starting five that has been a steamroller during the 2021-22 regular season.  

That quintet owned a net rating of plus-24.3 in 443 minutes together this season, most notably limiting opponents to a defensive rating of 97. 

That’s discouraging news for a Nets team that has seen its key offensive stars bottled up at times this series.  

Boston still could use a boost as the matchup shifts to Brooklyn, as it feels inevitable that Kevin Durant will catch a hot streak sooner than later.