Celtics Injury Report: 2 Rotation Players added for Rockets Game as Celtics will look to get back in the Win Column
The Celtics will look to get back in the win column as they take on Ime Udoka and the Rockets again on Sunday at the Toyota Center. It’s looking likely the C’s will be at least somewhat shorthanded going into the Rockets game.
Jrue Holiday (right elbow sprain) and Al Horford (rest) are both questionable for the 7 p.m. Sunday game. The C’s take on the Mavericks in Dallas on Monday, so they have a back-to-back coming up. With Horford not playing in both of those games, it’s no surprise the C’s could look to suit him up in Dallas instead.
Holiday has hit the injury report a few times because of the elbow sprain, which he’s been managing over the past few weeks. He hasn’t missed much time other than an odd game or two, but there’s a chance he could miss Sunday’s game as the C’s elect to rest their starter.
The Celtics battled the Nuggets down to the wire last time out, falling in their first home game of the season. They’re now looking to bounce back from that loss as they take on the 19-21 Rockets. It’s not the first time this season the C’s will see former coach Udoka as the teams met Jan. 13 in a blowout Boston victory.
The C’s will not only just see Udoka on this upcoming road trip. They’ll face former Celtics big man Grant Williams in Dallas in the first time seeing the old friend. Kyrie Irving has also been a difference-maker for the Mavs as that should be a fun game between some talented teams.
Further Reading:
Celtics Notes: Porzingis, Tatum, Holiday, Trade Deadline
The Celtics lost a home game for the first time this season on Friday night, but the matchup with Denver gave Kristaps Porzingis a taste of a championship atmosphere, writes Jared Weiss of The Athletic. Weiss notes that not only was Porzingis the only starter on Friday who hasn’t been to the NBA Finals, he’s never won a playoff series. Matching up with Nikola Jokic in a potential Finals preview offered a hint of what Porzingis and his team will face when the playoffs begin.
“It’s just pure basketball talent,” Porziņgis said of Jokic. “Pure basketball mastermind. He’s the best player in the world and he’s just so crafty. Kind of almost makes you fall asleep like he’s not doing anything and just slides by you. He has so many tricks and so many things that he can do and then making so many tough shots that are not really tough for him because — I guess they’re not because he’s just been making them for a long time and you have to live with those.”
The Celtics acquired Porzingis last summer to fortify their frontcourt and provide size and shooting for another long playoff run. Injuries have been the main concern surrounding Porzingis throughout his career, but he has appeared in 31 of Boston’s first 42 games and he told Souchi Terada of MassLive before Friday’s contest that he’s happy with how he feels halfway through the season.
“Feeling great,” Porzingis said. “Of course, the medical staff is always on the more cautionary side of things and understanding that we have to look at the big picture. I’m feeling great and ready to go tonight.”
There’s more from Boston:
- Friday’s loss showed that the Celtics need more late-game options than just giving the ball to Jayson Tatum and expecting him to make a play, observes Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe. Washburn, who points out that Tatum is shooting just 33.3% in clutch situations, calls on coach Joe Mazzulla to get Jaylen Brown, Derrick White and Porzingis more involved in the offense when games are tight.
- Nuggets coach Michael Malone believes the Celtics have a better chance to win the East this year because of their offseason additions, per Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe. Boston was aggressive on the trade market after falling in the conference finals last season, acquiring Porzingis and Jrue Holiday in separate deals. “Porzingis has length, shot-blocking and is a tough matchup because at the five he can step out and shoot the three,” Malone said. “He can roll with force, he can handle the ball. So, a tremendous addition. And Jrue Holiday, to me, is one of the best two-way players in the NBA.”
- Finding another veteran guard or wing is likely to be the team’s priority heading into the trade deadline, Brian Robb of MassLive states in a mailbag column. He mentions the Hawks‘ Saddiq Bey as a player who would fit into Boston’s $6.2MM traded player exception and suggests the Grizzlies‘ Xavier Tillman if the Celtics opt to pursue a big man.
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