With wins in five of their last six games, Joe Mazzulla and the Celtics may be finally hitting their stride. But, naturally, the injury bug could be set to bite the Celtics at the worst possible time, with three starters listed on Boston’s injury report ahead of Saturday’s game against the Timberwolves.
On the four-player injury report for the Celtics, the C’s have labeled both Jaylen Brown (back spasms) and Neemias Queta (left ankle sprain) as questionable, while Derrick White (calf) is probable. Jayson Tatum also remains out due to his ongoing recovery from Achilles surgery, obviously.
Queta’s questionable tag is not much of a shock after the C’s center missed Wednesday’s game against the Pistons. If the Celtics are without Queta once again, they’ll likely have to lean on Luka Garza as their starting center once again, and go ‘small’ against a Minny frontcourt headlined by Rudy Gobert.
Brown’s potential absence, meanwhile, comes after the Celtics’ top scoring option played over 34 minutes in Wednesday’s win over Detroit. Brown had a double-double in the victory, but also did have his worst shooting performance of the season despite the win, with misses on 20 of his 32 attempts from the field (a season-worst 37.5 field goal percentage). Even with the rough shooting night on Wednesday in mind, Brown has been a downright elite presence and scorer during Boston’s recent surge in the Eastern Conference.
White, meanwhile, could be in line for a missed game after having his best game of the season on Wednesday night. On the floor for over 31 minutes, White posted a season-best 27 points and seven rebounds, and connected on a season-high six attempts from three-point land.
Even while battered, the C’s could be catching the T’Wolves at the best possible time, as Minnesota comes into Saturday’s showdown with losses in three straight games.