Celtics Battle Raptors Shorthanded in Friday Showdown
After defeating the Detroit Pistons 128-122 in overtime on Thursday, the Boston Celtics face the 15-0 Toronto Raptors at TD Garden on Friday.
The hosts of this match are 24-6 and have the best record in the NBA. However, they will have to overcome the absence of Jayson Tatum, Kristaps Porzingis and Al Horford to remain undefeated. The first is out with a sprained left ankle. The four-time All Star scored 31 points vs. Detroit.
He also had ten assists, five rebounds and five steals. When asked after the win about the impact of ankle soreness and Thursday’s sprain on Friday’s availability, Tatum had this to say.
I sprained it and it’s still a little swollen, but I can play and all questions will be answered tomorrow. So, I’ll see how I feel in the morning and we’ll see.andquot; Kristaps Porzingis, who led all scorers with 35 points and repeatedly punished turnovers, is inactive with a left calf injury.
Traditionally, Al Horford (the rest) does not play in the second half and back-to-back games of Boston. Fortunately for the Celtics, Jaylen Brown will return to the lineup after missing Thursday’s win with a lower back contusion suffered during the 126-115 Christmas win against the Los Angeles Lakers. Jrue Holiday is also available after Boston listed him as questionable on the injury report Friday afternoon.
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