ESPN Boston: WALTHAM, Mass. -- Celtics second-year shooting guard Avery Bradley will undergo surgery Friday to repair small tears in his left shoulder and miss the remainder of the postseason.
Celtics coach Doc Rivers said the surgery will be performed by team doctor Brian McKeon. The Celtics play host to the Philadelphia 76ers in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference semifinals on Saturday (ABC, 8 p.m. ET).
"It's disappointing," Rivers said of losing Bradley. "Obviously when a player goes down, that's disappointing, especially on what Avery has given us this year. His growth this year has been terrific, and it's been great, and he's become a very valuable piece to our basketball team."
A league source told ESPNBoston.com on Thursday that Bradley is looking at a four-month rehab, and that the team hopes he will be able to participate in training camp.
Rivers acknowledged the weight of losing Bradley, particularly on the defensive end and, according to ESPN Stats & Information, his absence will take away the Celtics' best five-man lineup this postseason: When Bradley, Rajon Rondo, Paul Pierce, Brandon Bass and Kevin Garnett have been on the court together, the Celtics have outscored opponents by 53 points. Their next best lineup has outscored opponents by only 18 points (Ray Allen, Garnett, Pierce, Rondo and Mickael Pietrus).
Jasper's thoughts: "Tough to loose Bradley, he was the center of a lot of the Celtics' defensive punch, and he was great on offense as well."
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