Is Jaylen Brown Playing Tonight Vs Hornets? Celtics Injury Report and Depth Chart

After a double blow and a moral victory, the Boston Celtics are returning to the center stage tonight. The top-seeding Celts have become the first team to qualify for the playoffs, earning an explosive 58-16 record. With only 8 games left in the regular season, Jaylen Brown & Co. now have the luxury to play around with various scenarios before entering the post-season. Moreover, it can help the Celts shooter get back into form at the right moment.

Tonight, they face the 13th-seeded Charlotte Hornets at Spectrum Center, scheduled for 7 PM ET. As the team suffered a disappointing back-to-back loss against the Atlanta Hawks, their fans might expect an explosive night from the Celts. Amid this circumstance, the availability of Jaylen Brown landed in an uncertain area, currently listed as questionable for tonight’s game with a left-hand strain.

Brown played his three games and had an underwhelming outing, averaging under 18 points. This also impacted the game’s result, as the Celts lost two of them. This season, he has played the second fiddle for Jayson Tatum, averaging 23.2 points with 5.5 rebounds and 1.2 steals per game. Moreover, the 27-year-old has amped up his athleticism to another level, despite facing criticism for dribbling with his left hand.

While Brown could miss the game tonight, he might also have some company on the bench. The team’s towering centers, Kristaps Porzingis and Jaden Springer, have also been listed in the questionable category. Alongside them, the team ruled out 21-year-old guard JD Davison with a left ankle sprain.

Meanwhile, on the other hand, the Hornets have a clean injury apart from a single player. The team listed their Serbian forward Aleksej Pokusevski as questionable, with reports directing this uncertainty to illness.

How would the Starting Lineup and Depth Chart look for the Boston Celtics?

In the case of Jaylen Brown (small forward) and Kristaps Porzingis’ (center) absence, the Celts may have a concerning night against the Hornets. Miles Bridges and Brandon Miller could shake up the short-handed Celts. In Brown and Porzingis’ absence, Al Horford and Sam Hauser/Payton Pritchard can replace the duo in the starting line-up. Keeping the injury report in consideration, the Celts’ depth chart may look something like this:

Sam Hauser and Payton Pritchard have played many impactful games from the bench. They have also started whenever the management asked them. Hauser in his 21-minute stay on the floor has averaged 8.6 points per game and surprisingly, Pritchard has also averaged 8.6 points. So, Joe Mazzula has the luxury of choosing between two back-ups to replace brown. Now, the starting line-up may look like this: Jrue Holiday, Derrick White, Sam Hauser, Jayson Tatum, and Luke Kornet.

Read More – Jaylen Brown’s Mental Health Journey Fuels ‘Built Different’ Performance vs. Warriors