Griffin Wong provides an injury update on Miami Heat guard Norman Powell in advance of tonight’s game against the Dallas Mavericks.
Down Jayson Tatum to a torn Achilles, the Boston Celtics widely expected the 2025-26 season to be a gap year as they prepare to return to contention in 2026-27. Overall, it probably still will be, but the fact that Boston sits sixth in the East and has picked up wins over the Orlando Magic, Detroit Pistons, Cleveland Cavaliers, and the New York Knicks — all of whom are all in the conference’s top seven — in the last five games is extremely promising. Jaylen Brown ($9,500) is embracing his role as the team’s unquestioned No. 1 option and has thrived, averaging 29.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 4.8 assists (46.3 FPTS) per game on the fifth-best efficiency of his career.
However, the Celtics will be without Brown tonight when they travel to face the Washington Wizards at 7 p.m. ET. The 29-year-old had been dealing with an illness and had been previously classified as “doubtful”, but he was officially ruled out early Thursday afternoon. Illnesses can be fickle, but it’s unsurprising that Boston would choose to rest him against the cellar-dwelling Wizards, given that it will host the Los Angeles Lakers tomorrow night at TD Garden.
The last time both Brown and Tatum sat out a contest came in the 2024-25 season finale, Payton Pritchard ($6,800) led the way with 34 points, seven rebounds, and seven assists as the Celtics picked up a narrow win over the Charlotte Hornets, but Derrick White ($7,500) didn’t play in that game. The last time Brown and Tatum both sat but Pritchard and White both played, it was Kristaps Porziņġis — now with the Atlanta Hawks — leading the way, and White contributed 18 points and Baylor Scheierman ($3,200) added 20 off the bench. It’s unclear who will step into the starting lineup in Brown’s place, but assuming Joe Mazzulla wants to keep Anfernee Simons ($4,700) as the leader of the second unit, the next man up is Josh Minott ($3,800).
White and Pritchard should receive some additional shots with Brown absent, but I’m most bullish about Minott, who’s out-performed his 18.3-FPT season average in three of his last five games despite coming off the bench. The 23-year-old stretch big has the best advanced numbers of any Boston bench piece, and he already has an 11-point, 14-rebound (42.4-FPT) double-double to his name in the October 29 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers. Washington is extremely gettable, conceding the second-most FPTS per game to opposing power forwards, and it has allowed 125.0 points per 100 possessions without Alex Sarr ($7,700) on the floor. Sarr will miss his third straight game with an adductor injury.
Even without Brown, the Celtics are 9.5-point favorites at DraftKings Sportsbook (-455 on the Moneyline), with the point total set to 231.5. Washington is +350 on the Moneyline.