The Boston Celtics and Oklahoma City Thunder are set for one of the biggest matchups of the season on Thursday evening. The Thunder, led by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, remain in the West standings as the regular season campaign concludes. Meanwhile, the Celtics are business as usual, with Jaylen Brown elevating his play to an MVP-caliber level. But the highly anticipated clash comes with a worrying injury report for the Celtics.
The Celtics released their injury report, with Jayson Tatum and Derrick White both questionable for the matchup. While White is dealing with a right knee injury, Tatum is managing his comeback from his right Achilles injury. While Tatum and White haven't been completely ruled out, both of their losses could be a blow to the Celtics as they look to take on the reigning NBA champions.
Tatum has been effective in his return from his Achilles injury. Although obviously not putting up his typical MVP stats, he still averaged 19.7 points and 6.7 rebounds per game. He stepped up in a big way for Boston on Tuesday after Jaylen Brown exited the game late in the second quarter. Tatum had 24 points, five rebounds, two assists and two steals in a 125–116 loss in 27 minutes of play.
White has been a constant in the Celtics lineup. Playing 63 games this season, he has averaged 17.5 points, 5.7 assists, 1.4 blocks and 1.2 steals per game. With both White and Tatum out of the lineup, getting a win in Thursday's game against Oklahoma City could be a tough task.
