Celtics Get Concerning Injury News Before Hawks Game

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Joe Mazzulla, Boston Celtics

As many as three Boston Celtics starters — Jaylen Brown (left calf tightness), Neemias Queta (right thumb sprain) and Derrick White (right knee contusion) — are questionable for Friday’s game against the Atlanta Hawks due to injuries. Furthermore, Nikola Vucevic remains out of the rotation while recovering from the right finger fracture he suffered earlier this month.

White reportedly suffered a right knee contusion during a game against the San Antonio Spurs this month, but has played through the injury in recent weeks. If he does sit out, reigning Sixth Man of the Year Payton Pritchard is expected to fill in as a starter.

As for Brown, the  All-Star wing has already reached the threshold of 65 games played and can therefore afford to sit out a few games as a precautionary measure. Brown is widely expected to finish in the top five in MVP voting and claim a spot in the All-NBA First Team for the first time in his 10-year career.

Celtics Bond Over Soccer

During their off day on Thursday, several Celtics, including head coach Joe Mazzulla and star player Jayson Tatum, traveled to Gillette Stadium in Foxborough to watch a friendly soccer match between Brazil and France.

Tatum was seen hugging French star Kylian Mbappe before the match.

Celtics Benefit From Knicks Loss

The Celtics (48-24) and New York Knicks (48-26) are currently in a close race for the second seed and potential home-court advantage in a rematch of last year’s Eastern Conference semifinals. The C’s got a huge boost on Thursday night when the Knicks suffered a 114-103 loss to the Charlotte Hornets, falling a game behind in the standings.

The Knicks, outrebounded 43-24 by the Hornets, were ripped to shreds by their head coach, Mike Brown, after Thursday’s loss.

“They just kicked our behinds on the glass,” Brown fumed after the loss.

“We need more production on the glass than what we got from a handful of guys. If you’re going to go on the road and let a team outrebound you 43-24, it’s not even close because we didn’t put bodies on bodies. We didn’t hit first.”

The Celtics open as -4.5-point favorites against the Hawks on Friday despite the injury concerns. Analysts expect a big night from Jayson Tatum, especially if Brown is not available. The Hawks have won 9 of their last 10 games, including three straight.

Sai Mohan covers the NBA for Heavy.com. Based in Portugal, Sai is a seasoned sports writer with nearly two decades of publishing experience, including bylines at Yardbarker, FanSided’s Hoops Habit, International Business Times, Hindustan Times and more. More about Sai Mohan