Thad's injury issue is shin, not ankle

BOSTON - Thaddeus Young sat courtside after Sunday's film/shooting session at TD Garden with an ice pack wrapped around his right shin. While the team relayed to the media during Game 1 Saturday that he had sprained his right ankle, Young cleared up the injury a bit Sunday.

"I actually got kneed in the shin, which caused me to roll my ankle a little bit, but it was the shin that hurt," Young said. "I tried to run it out but it kind of spasmed up a little bit. I'll be fine. I'll definitely play [in Game 2 Monday night]."

He missed a little time in the second quarter due to the injury and didn't play at all in the third quarter, but was able to return throughout the fourth.

Also on the injury list is forward Elton Brand, who is nursing a sore neck. Brand played only a bit over 15 minutes on Saturday, partially due to the injury, partially due to the effectiveness of Lavoy Allen, who scored 12 points and grabbed six rebounds in just under 20 minutes.

"E.B. was struggling a little bit and Lavoy was playing great," coach Doug Collins said. "I think the guys know that at this point in time I've got to go with the guys who are playing well. E.B. is a proud guy and he's going to give everything he can [in Game 2]. If he's playing well, he'll get those minutes. When they went to a smaller lineup, it's hard to get E.B. and Spencer [Hawes] out there together."

Brand said the neck has been bothering him for about a week and that he was going to see a chiropractor Sunday.

Reserve forward Sam Young wowed teammates and the media after Sunday's gathering by performing standstill back flips and running cartwheels into corkscrew jumps. Pretty impressive for any man, especially one who is 6-6 and 236 pounds . . . Games 3 and 4 will be Wednesday and Friday at the Well Fargo Center, with a possible Game 6 next Monday at TD Garden. Celtics coach Doc Rivers lamented about how the first four games coming every other day doesn't help his hobbling, older team.