BOSTON — The Boston Celtics (15-10) will look to bounce back from a Thursday night loss to the Milwaukee Bucks when they host the Detroit Pistons (20-5) on Monday. But, as they look to get back on track, they could be without Payton Pritchard, who is listed as questionable due to a neck right neck spasm.
Everyone else is available to play, with the continued exception of Jayson Tatum, who recently hit the 7-month mark of his Achilles rupture recovery journey.
Pritchard was an active participant at the Celtics’ shootaround on Monday morning and has not previously been listed with this injury this season. So far this year, he’s averaging 16.8 points and 5 assists per game. He’s yet to miss a game.
Chris Boucher, Amari Williams off the injury report
The Celtics were without Chris Boucher (non-COVID illness), Amari Williams (right hand hairline fracture), and Ron Harper Jr (right knee sprain) in Thursday’s game against the Bucks.
But Boucher is off the injury report, while Williams played in a Maine Celtics game on Sunday, tallying 12 points, 8 rebounds, and 4 assists in Maine’s first home loss of the season.
Harper Jr, the G League’s leading scorer, remains out with a knee sprain suffered last Sunday.
For the Pistons, everyone is available to play, except Isaac Jones, Bobi Klintman, Wendell Moore Jr., and Tolu Smith, who are all with the team’s G League affiliate.
The Celtics look to bounce back with a win against the Pistons
The Celtics and Pistons have faced off twice this season. The first time, on October 26th in Detroit, the Pistons walked away with a 119-113 win. The second time, on November 26th in Boston, the Celtics won 117-114, securing perhaps their most impressive win of the season.
Williams played 15 minutes in that game, filling in for the injured Neemias Queta. Whether he suits up in Monday’s game remains to be seen; he’s currently listed as questionable.
So far this season, when the two teams have matched up, it’s been the Cade Cunningham vs Jaylen Brown show. Cunningham has averaged 33.5 points and 6.5 assists in two matchups, while Brown has averaged 37 points and 8 rebounds across the two matchups.
At shootaround, Derrick White previewed the upcoming matchup against Detroit.
“They’re playing well all year, and that was a highly competitive game last time — so just know that it’s going to be probably a little more competitive, a little more physical,” White said. “We’ve got to do a good job of rebounding. Both games, there were definitely times we rebounded well and made runs, and times where we didn’t rebound well. So, that’s going to be a big challenge for us. And, taking care of the ball, slowing down Cade [Cunningham], Jalen [Duren], all the great players they got.”
The two teams will face off at 7pm ET at TD Garden.
