3 Celtics stars questionable on injury report vs. Heat
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The Boston Celtics could be without four of their top players when they host the Miami Heat on Wednesday. Jaylen Brown, Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis are questionable for the matchup, while Al Horford is doubtful.
Brown is dealing with a right knee bone bruise and posterior impingement that caused him to miss Monday’s 117-103 win over the Memphis Grizzlies. Holiday has been battling a right shoulder ailment, while Porzingis is coming off an illness that sidelined him for an extended period. Horford is tending to a toe sprain.
Three Celtics starters questionable for Heat matchup as season winds down
Brown has put together another All-Star campaign with Boston, averaging 22.4 points, 5.9 rebounds and 4.6 assists on 46/32/76 shooting splits.
Holiday’s numbers have declined during his age-34 season. He’s averaged 11.2 points, 4.3 rebounds and 3.9 assists on 45/35/91 shooting splits. However, the veteran guard has continued to provide an elite defensive presence. Opoonensts are scoring 3.6 fewer points per 100 possessions during Holiday’s minutes, placing him in the 80th percentile among combo guards, per CleaningTheGlass.
Porzingis hasn’t taken a step back since returning from his illness. The big man has appeared in seven games this month, averaging 21.7 points, 7.7 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.4 blocks on 55/41/82 shooting splits.
The Celtics have essentially locked in their playoff seeding with seven games remaining. They are four games behind the Cleveland Cavaliers for second place in the Eastern Conference and 7.5 games ahead of the Houston Rockets for the NBA’s third-best record. Boston has little incentive to play any of its top players if they aren’t 100 percent as the playoffs approach.
Meanwhile, Miami is battling for position in the Eastern Conference play-in tournament. The Heat have won five straight following a 10-game losing streak. They sit in ninth place in the East standings, a half-game ahead of the Chicago Bulls and two behind the Atlanta Hawks and Orlando Magic.
If the season ended today, Erik Spoelstra’s squad would host the Bulls for a chance to face the winner of the Hawks and Magic for the eighth seed.
Andrew Wiggins and Duncan Robinson will be sidelined for Monday’s Celtics matchup. Wiggins is dealing with a hamstring injury, while Robinson has a lower back ailment.
Celtics injury report
Jaylen Brown: Questionable – Injury/Illness – Right Knee; Posterior Impingement
JD Davidson: Out – G League – Two-Way
Jrue Holiday: Questionable – Injury/Illness – Right Shoulder; Impingement
Al Horford: Doubtful – Injury/Illness – Left Big Toe; Sprain
Miles Norris: Out – G League – Two-Way
Drew Peterson: Out – G League – Two-Way
Kristaps Porzingis: Questionable – Injury/Illness – Illness; Reconditioning
Jordan Walsh: Out – G League – On Assignment
Heat injury report
Alec Burks: Available – Injury/Illness – Lower Back; Discomfort
Nikola Jovic: Out – Injury/Illness – Right Hand; Broken
Kevin Love: Out – Personal Reasons
Duncan Robinson: Out – Injury/Illness – Left Sacroiliac Joint; Dysfunction
Dru Smith: Out – Injury/Illness – Left Achilles; Surgery
Andrew Wiggins: Out – Injury/Illness – Right Hamstring; Tendinopathy
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