The Boston Celtics will be without two stars against the Toronto Raptors on Saturday. Jaylen Brown and Jaysum Tatum have been ruled out.
Jaylen Brown update
Brown is listed as doubtful due to a non-COVID illness, casting uncertainty over his availability just one night after another standout performance. He scored 30 points while adding nine rebounds and seven assists in Friday’s win over the Miami Heat, continuing a dominant stretch in which he has reached the 30-point mark in nine of his last 10 games.
The illness would mark only Brown’s second missed game of the season if he is ruled out. His lone absence so far also came on the first night of a back-to-back against Washington, again because of a non-COVID illness. Overall, Brown is enjoying a career year, averaging 29.3 points, 6.3 rebounds and five assists while shooting 50% from the field and 36.5% from beyond the arc. In December alone, those numbers jump to 32.7 points, 6.7 rebounds and 5.7 assists per game, with elite efficiency.
Jaysum Tatum update
Tatum, meanwhile, remains sidelined as he continues to recover from an Achilles rupture suffered in May. The Celtics have already adjusted to life without him, but the potential absence of Brown would further test Boston’s depth.
If Brown cannot go, Sam Hauser is expected to slide into the starting lineup, as he did earlier this season in Brown’s previous absence. Hauser is coming off his best scoring outing since October, pouring in 15 points against Miami, including 12 in the fourth quarter.
Aside from Brown and Tatum, Boston’s injury report is otherwise clean. Toronto, however, will also be short-handed. RJ Barrett is out with a right knee sprain, while center Jakob Poeltl is listed as doubtful due to lower back soreness.
The matchup carries playoff-seeding implications. Boston enters at 16-11, aiming to reclaim the third seed in the Eastern Conference, while Toronto sits slightly ahead at 17-11. The Celtics have won seven of their last 10 games, compared to four wins in Toronto’s past 10. Their most recent meeting on December 7 ended in a 121-113 victory for Boston.