The Boston Celtics are one game away from the playoffs, and many of their key players will be out for the season finale. Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Jrue Holiday, Al Horford, Kristaps Porzingis and Derrick White are all set to miss the matchup against the Hornets on Sunday, April 13.
While this is a non-issue in the final game of the regular season, injuries are the biggest concern that could stop the Celtics from another deep playoff run. Boston is wisely being proactive with each player carrying a different degree of concern.
Brown is at the top of the list as reports from ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne state he is receiving injections in his knee to be available for the postseason run. Porzingis has also been in and out of the lineup all season with some issues as he has played just 42 games.
While the Cleveland Cavaliers ran away with the top seed in the Eastern Conference, the Celtics are four games back and should be satisfied with the second seed. They will sit back and watch the Magic, Hawks, Bulls, and Heat fight it out in the play-in tournament to earn the seventh seed and the right to play the Celtics.
Once they get through the regular season finale, the Celtics enter the playoffs as the Eastern Conference favorites at -135 odds and second in the NBA Finals odds at +205 on DraftKings Sportsbook. The play-in tournament will begin on Tuesday, and April 19 marks the first day of the playoffs. The injured Celtics will have over a week of rest to get their bodies.
