BOSTON — The Celtics will probably be down two starters in Sunday’s matchup in opposition to the Wizards, with Kristaps Porzingis and Jayson Tatum each sitting.
Porzingis was a late scratch, added to the damage report simply an hour earlier than the sport with a non-COVID sickness. He’s missed 37 video games up to now this season, nearly all of which have been as a result of an offseason ankle surgical procedure ( and coping with an sickness that stored him out the primary half of March. It’s not identified if Porzingis’s sickness on Sunday is related to the sickness he suffered final month.
Tatum, in the meantime, has appeared in 70 of the Celtics’ 77 video games this season, however will miss this one nursing an ankle sprain he suffered in final month’s win over the Sacramento Kings. That damage stored him out of only one recreation and doesn’t appear more likely to be an element heading into the postseason.
Jaylen Brown will proceed to play by way of his knee damage
Brown has missed 10 video games this season as a result of a bone bruise with posterior impingement in his proper knee, which the group formally introduced on March twenty first. However he’s largely performed by way of this damage, enjoying in 5 of the group’s final six video games, albeit with a minutes restriction; Brown hasn’t performed greater than 20 minutes since March twelfth.
“You usually see folks go complain about when individuals are selecting to not play,” Brown stated with a smile after Friday’s recreation in opposition to the Suns. “I’ve by no means been skilled it the opposite approach round — the place I’m enjoying and individuals are encouraging me to not.”
“Ache is unquestionably a bodily factor, however it is also a psychological factor,” Brown stated, including: “My group visibly can see perhaps I’m in a little bit of ache — they belief me to go on the market, and I can management my physique, and nonetheless have the ability to make performs, and mentally, have the ability to sort of push by way of it. I feel that’s going to be one thing I’m gonna need to have in my again pocket. I’ve been using these video games to really feel issues out. Issues will get higher, I’m positive, but when they don’t, then I nonetheless have really feel of the place my baseline is at.”
The remainder of the Celtics will probably be obtainable to play in Sunday’s match-up with the Wizards, with Luke Kornet and Al Horford slotting into the beginning lineup rather than Tatum and Porzingis.
