With the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference already locked up, the Boston Celtics have nothing to play for during the remainder of the regular season. However, because of some of their recent postseason struggles, back-to-back losses to the Atlanta Hawks are inevitably going to cast a bit of doubt on the franchise's invincibility in the 2024 NBA Playoffs.
Fair or not, there are still trust issues that exist between the public and the Celtics. But that brings into focus the original point. Nothing can really be gained in their last eight games. If an NBA-best 58-16 record does not convince fans that the championship is Boston's to lose, then a runaway victory over the Charlotte Hornets is certainly not going to do the trick.
That being said, Monday's contest does still hold some importance, particularly where the injury report is concerned. Jaylen Brown is dealing with a left wrist injury and is getting it evaluated when the C's return home. Kristaps Porzingis' health is always a concern once the postseason draws near. If the squad is going to put to rest those aforementioned credibility questions, both stars must be available when the games count again.
Logging a few minutes down the stretch will limit the possibility of rust taking effect. The Celtics cannot afford to stumble in the opening round of the playoffs once again. They could not find a sustained rhythm following a hard-fought series against the Hawks in 2023. Getting off to a smooth start in 2024 is crucial.
And that might depend on how healthy Boston is to end the regular season. So therefore, fans might actually be curious about the injury status of both Jaylen Brown and Kristaps Porzingis for the Hornets matchup.
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Latest injury updates on Celtics' Jaylen Brown, Kristaps Porzingis
Brown and Porzingis were initially listed as questionable for tonight's game in the Spectrum Center, per the NBA injury report. The reason listed for the Latvian center is right hamstring management, but since the team had a day of rest on Sunday, it wasn't a surprise that he was upgraded to available prior to tip-off.
Unfortunately for Brown, he was ruled out for precautionary measures. The All-NBA guard, who averaged 27 points per game while shooting 51.1 percent in March, came out of the Celtics' 104-92 win against the New Orleans Pelicans a bit banged-up after stumbling on what was a slippery surface multiple times. He said the wrist has been an issue for a “little bit now,” so head coach Joe Mazzulla and the team's medical staff are cautious at the very least.
The Celtics' remaining core would ideally be able to dispatch of the Hornets without Brown, but either way, another late-season loss means nothing in the grand scheme of things. Besides, this could be a prime opportunity for the bench to carry a bigger workload. Although Boston's second unit has performed admirably all season-long, there is skepticism surrounding its ability to come through in the playoffs.
A tune-up against the Hornets could add to the confidence of guys like Payton Pritchard, Sam Hauser and Xavier Tillman. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET. As for the question if Jaylen Brown and Kristaps Porzingis are playing, the answer is no and yes, respectively.
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