Celtics center Robert Williams out 7-10 days with hamstring strain

Friday night against the Nets, Celtics center Robert Williams III left the game with a tweaked hamstring, not to return.

Sunday, before a somewhat concerning loss to the Knicks, coach Joe Mazulla said Williams would be out 7-10 days with a strained hamstring.

“So, we’re not going to rush him by any means, but when he’s healthy, we need him, and we want to play him,” Mazzulla said Sunday.

Williams missed the first 29 games of the season coming off meniscus surgery, and the team has eased him back this season (he hasn’t played both nights of a back-to-back, for example). While Williams is averaging 8.4 points and 8.6 rebounds a game when he does play, his real impact is on the defensive end — the Celtics’ defense is 2.8 points per 100 possessions better when he is on the court this season.

Williams being out will lead to more minutes for Grant Williams, Luke Kornet and Mike Muskala. It also could have Brad Stevens signing a big to a 10-day contract. Some veterans currently available include Tristan Thompson, LaMarcus Aldridge, Serge Igaka, and DeMarcus Cousins. It’s unclear if team president Brad Stevens wants to go the 10-day route, but he has options.

Police in Glendale, Colorado — part of the Denver metropolitan area — are investigating if Ja Morant violated any laws by apparently having a gun in a club within their city limits, reports Ramona Shelburne and Liz Merrill of ESPN.

Colorado is an open-carry state but there are a few restrictions. One of those is people cannot possess a firearm while under the influence of alcohol. Morant is not seen drinking in the video of him brandishing a gun in a club that went viral after he put it out on Instagram Live (that video is what alerted police to the situation, there had