Celtics injury report: Starting lineup remains questionable

Celtics

All five starters were listed on the Celtics’ injury report Monday morning.

Many familiar faces graced the The Celtics injury report ahead of Monday night’s game against the Trailblazers.

According to the team, Kristaps Porzingis will be out for his second straight game, while Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Jrue Holiday and Derrick White remain questionable.

Monday’s game against Portland marks the Celtics’ fourth game in a week. They were 1-2 on the road last week, suffering tough losses to the Cavaliers and Nuggets. Despite this difficult period, the Celtics hold a solid 49-14 record with a substantial lead in the Eastern Conference.

It’s likely that coach Joe Mazzulla will opt to rest at least some of his starters before the team plays back-to-back games and then against the Utah Jazz on Tuesday. The choice would be less surprising after Mazzulla expressed admiration for his reserve players after Saturday night’s game. 117-107 victory in Phoenix.

“They were incredible, they were great,” Mazzulla told reporters after the victory. “I thought Payton [Pritchard] changed the game with his defense. Him and Sam [Hauser] both are known for their offensive players, but I think it’s their defense that really helped us this year. And that of Luc [Kornet] The ability to play against a second unit and change positions really gave us a great look, and when they did touch down he was able to create some great screens.

Indeed, the Celtics bench was above all a defensive force. Kornet, who had the difficult task of replacing Porzingis, posted a defensive rating of 102.6. Meanwhile, the speed and versatility of Hauser and Pritchard helped the Celtics control the second half of Saturday’s game in Phoenix.

Regardless of the exact lineup, Monday night’s game will give the Celtics bench some much-needed minutes. before the playoffs.

The Celtics take on the Trail Blazers on Monday at 7:30 p.m. PST at the Moda Center in Portland.