Bundle of energy: Jonas Jerebko gives Celtics a jolt

11:22 PM ET

BOSTON — The day before he formally elevated to postseason starter for the Boston Celtics, Jonas Jerebko spent the morning at the pediatrician’s office, a two-week checkup for his daughter, Izabel. Like any new father, Jerebko has endured the sleep deprivation that comes with a newborn, though he has hardly shown the effects.

Maybe that shouldn’t be surprising. After all, Jerebko has carved out a six-year NBA career as an energy guy, the sort of player who thrives simply because of how hard he plays and the way that rubs off on his teammates.

Thrust into a starting role with the Celtics staring at a two-game deficit in a first-round series against the Atlanta Hawks, Jerebko has given Boston a much-needed — and possibly season-saving — jolt. In Games 3 and 4 of the series, Jerebko produced double-doubles, averaging 13.5 points and 11 rebounds over 34.1 minutes per game. That has helped Boston pull even in the series, with Game 5 on Tuesday night at Philips Arena.

Jonas Jerebko has given the Celtics plenty of energy, helping them pull even in their playoff series with the Hawks after starting in an 0-2 hole. AP Photo/Michael Dwyer

“I’m just out there trying to play my butt off,” Jerebko said.

Then consider it a miracle that there’s any derriere remaining on Jerebko. From a fuse-lighting tip-dunk at the start of Game 3 to the his tongue-wagging offensive barrage as Boston rallied from a double-digit deficit in the second half of Game 4, Jerebko has played a key role in Boston’s resurgence. And much of it stems from his seemingly boundless energy.

As Celtics coach Brad Stevens abridged: “He plays really, really hard.”

The Celtics crawled out of the gates of both Games 1 and 2 in Atlanta. Starting shooting guard Avery Bradley was injured in Game 1 — and backup big man Kelly Olynyk aggravated a shoulder injury as well — leaving the team scrambling to patch not only its starting lineup but the …

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