The 56-19 Boston Celtics, winners of nine straight games, could be missing several critical components in a clash of Eastern Conference playoff hopefuls on Wednesday.
Ahead of a matchup with the rising Miami Heat, winners of four straight, Boston could be without as many as four of their top six players, as Noa Dalzell of CLNS details.
Four-time All-Star Celtics small forward Jaylen Brown is considered questionable to play through a right knee posterior impingement.
The 6-foot-6 University of California at Berkeley product, 28, sat out Boston’s 117-103 victory against the Memphis Grizzlies on Monday with the ailment.
Brown has struggled with various injuries this season. The reigning Finals MVP has played just 59 contests for Boston this year, and is in danger of missing out on an opportunity to earn just his second All-NBA Team selection if he can’t suit up for at least six of the Celtics’ final seven games this season.
Two-time All-Star Boston guard Jrue Holiday, who’s been grappling with a lingering mallet injury that seems to have affected his shot for much of the year, is considered questionable to play through a right shoulder impingement.
Oft-hurt former All-Star starting center Kristaps Porzingis is actually not injured, but he’s been listed as questionable while he works on reconditioning himself from an illness.
Porzingis did suit up Monday, but his backup, Al Horford, was the star of the show for Boston on Monday. The 6-foot-9 former five-time All-Star power forward/center notched a season-most 26 points on on 9-of-18 shooting from the field (6-of-13 from deep) and 2-of-2 shooting from the foul line, grabbed eight rebounds, and dished out a pair of dimes.
Invariably, Horford may also be absent against Miami. He’s considered doubtful to play as he grapples with a left big toe sprain. Through 57 games this season, the Florida alum is averaging 8.9 points on .422/.360/.895 shooting splits, 6.1 rebounds, 2.1 assists, and 0.9 blocks a night. It’s a remarkable performance for a member of the 2007 NBA Draft class not named Kevin Durant.
Should Boston win another championship with Horford making meaningful contributions, this endearing vet may have enough of a case to make the Hall of Fame.
At 34-41 on the season, the Heat are currently the No. 9 seed in the East, and seem all but assured of a play-in berth. But there’s no doubt they’d like to be the No. 8 or No. 7 seed so they could have at least two chances to punch their ticket to the playoffs proper.
They’re trailing the 36-38 Atlanta Hawks by 2.5 games and the 36-40 Orlando Magic by 1.5 bouts. This team is not a pushover, and if many of these Celtics mainstays sit out, Miami could have a shot.
