Enter your search terms:
Top

Celtics injury report: 2 starters downgraded for Pacers game Sunday

BOSTON — The Celtics will be shorthanded for the second straight game on Sunday night as they face off against the Pacers for the second consecutive game. Kristaps Porzingis (ankle) and Jrue Holiday (shoulder) were both ruled out by the team hours before the 6 p.m. tip at TD Garden. Porzingis and Holiday were questionable

It will be the second straight missed game for Porzingis after he sprained his left ankle on Wednesday against the 76ers. The Celtics big man played the first half of that matchup after tweaking his ankle in the opening minutes of the game but was re-evaluarted at halftime and ruled out. Holiday will also be missing his second straight game due to a right shoulder impingement.

Joe Mazzulla said before Sunday’s game that both players are getting better and working hard to return. They remain day-to-day at this point.

The Celtics will likely look deeper down the bench again on Sunday after they got some unexpected contributions in Friday’s blowout win. Sam Hauser and Al Horford started in place of Holiday and Porzingis respectively in those victories but Boston got useful contributions from Jordan Walsh and Luke Kornet in the victory along with a near triple-double from Payton Pritchard off the bench.

Mazzulla spoke after the game about Walsh’s contributions after he scored a career-high nine points and played some stout defense against an uptempo Pacers offense.

“He has really good physical defensive possessions that you don’t see,” Mazzulla said. “You have to really watch the possessions. He stands guys up, he doesn’t open up his hips on angles. He’s physical. He got like two rebounds outside of his area. So he’s continuing to get better on the small things that really matter.”

The Pacers will also have some reinforcements back in the lineup for Sunday’s rematch after Andrew Nembhard sat out Friday’s game .Obi Toppin is also listed as questionable so he could be back in the lineup after missing Friday’s loss with a sprained ankle.

The Celtics and Pacers have both won a game each in head-to-head matchups so the winner of Sunday’s contest will win the season series.

  • BETTING: Check out our MA sports betting guide, where you can learn basic terminology, definitions and how to read odds for those interested in learning how to bet in Massachusetts.

This post was originally published on this site