The Boston Celtics, currently embroiled in their opening Eastern Conference series against the Orlando Magic, are aiming to secure a lead of 3-1. However, they must overcome a significant challenge as their guard, Jrue Holiday, will not be available to play in Sunday’s Game 4 (7 p.m. ET, TNT). There’s been a status update regarding guard-forward Jaylen Brown too – He was formerly listed as questionable but has now been declared available for the game.
Fortunately, the Celtics can look forward to some positive tidings regarding their All-NBA forward, Jayson Tatum. He suffered a bruised right wrist during the first game. This led to him sitting out during Game 2, although he did make a return in Game 3. The most recent reports show that Tatum has now been taken off the injury list altogether.
Holiday, who was noticeably absent from Orlando’s narrow 95-93 win in Game 3, is reported to have strained his right hamstring. The extent of this injury is yet unknown. Celtics’ coach provides assurance by stating, ‘He’s doing well’. Keeping expectations reasonable, dealing with this condition is a ‘one day at a time’ process, with the decision to play entirely dependent on Holiday’s day-to-day recovery.
Significant attention needs to be given to Jaylen Brown’s injury situation as well. The versatile player has been managing pain in his right knee, specifically a condition called posterior impingement. This refers to discomfort or pain at the back of the knee. Making the situation more complex, Brown revealed that he dislocated his left index finger in Game 3, although this injury is not detailed in the official report.
Brown’s knee issues are not new. Throughout the season, he has been contending with this persistent knee discomfort, which led to him missing a considerable chunk of season play. In fact, over the last two months of the regular season, he was compelled to miss a total of 12 games owing to this concern.
The Celtics team management conscientiously decided to limit Brown’s playing time towards the end of the season. This strategic choice was meant to protect him and prevent any further aggravation of his knee injury. As such, during the final seven games that Brown participated in during the regular season, he was capped to under 30 minutes playtime.
Earlier this month, a measure was taken to manage Brown’s knee pain better – he received injections intended for improving his condition. However, the relief was temporary as he had to miss the last three games of the regular season because of persisting issues. His contribution to the series against the Magic, until now, has been substantial – even with his spree of injuries, he has clocked at least 30 playing minutes in each game, including a mammoth 42 minutes during Game 2.