Hornets vs Celtics Injury Report: Is Kristaps Porziņģis Playing Tonight Against The 18-56 Team?

The Boston Celtics (58-16) are soon set to face off against the Charlotte Hornets (18-56) at the Spectrum Center in Charlotte. Given their high seeding on the Eastern Conference points table and, one would presume that the Celtics shouldn’t have much to worry about. However, since they lost their last matchup against the Hornets by 11 points, the team will have to place their best foot forward and deliver commendable offensive play. This would involve having the availability of their leading scorers to not be under a cloud of doubt, Unfortunately, it is.

A few hours ago, CBS reporter Rob Greene took to his official X account to highlight the recent Injury Report released by the Celtics prior to their matchup. According to it, the team’s power forward Kristaps Porzingis has been placed in the ‘questionable’ category.

Porzingis has been suffering from a right hamstring injury for quite some time now and recently returned to the court after a five-game hiatus. However, given that his injury has not fully healed by now, the Celtics may not want to take any chances during this final stage of the regular season. According to reports, if Porzingis fails to make it to the Hornets clash, then the gap left by him could easily be covered by 37-year-old Al Horford. Still, with his availability standing at 50-50, Celtics fans would be looking forward to the team’s third-highest average scorer available when taking on the 18-56 team.

Along with Porzingis, Jaylen Brown and Jaden Springer have also been listed as ‘questionable’. Brown showed signs of experiencing pain in numerous areas during the Celtics’ recent clash against the New Orleans Pelicans. While the player reportedly attempted to downplay the same, he admitted to wanting to have his left hand checked since “it’s been bothering me for a little bit now.” JD Davidson, who developed a left ankle sprain during a recent G League matchup, will end up missing his third consecutive team with the Celtics.

From the Charlotte Hornets side, only one player has been ruled out from the much-awaited game: power forward Aleksej Pokuševski.

Where do the Boston Celtics and the Charlotte Hornets stand on the Eastern Conference Points chart?

The Boston Celtics have managed to deliver one of their most impressive performances this season. Thanks to a score of 58-16, they have managed to occupy the topmost seed on the Eastern Conference Points chart. The same, however, could not be said about the Charlotte Hornets, who are currently occupying the 13 seed.

The Hornets have just 8 more games remaining in the regular season. Even if they manage to win every single one of them, they still won’t be able to occupy a high enough seed that would allow them to qualify for the playoffs. Therefore, the team will have to try their luck out in the play-in series.

The Celtics will not have to worry about letting go of their top seed anytime soon. The team occupies a 11 win lead over the one currently placed in the second seed: the Milwaukee Bucks (47-27). Contrary to the Hornets, they can afford to lose a few games.

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