In moments of uncertainty, leadership isn’t just a role—it’s a lifeline. For the Boston Celtics, that lifeline comes in the form of Al Horford, especially with the team facing a crucial challenge: the absence of their star, Jayson Tatum. With Tatum sidelined after a painful wrist injury, the Celtics find themselves at a crossroads. How do you rally when your cornerstone player is out? The answer lies in stepping up together, and Horford is ready to lead the charge.

Tatum’s injury doesn’t just create a gap in the Celtics’ lineup; it shifts the very dynamic of their game plan. As the most recognizable face of the franchise and a key player in their championship run, Tatum’s presence on the court is felt deeply. But now, with him on the sidelines, it’s up to others—Jaylen Brown, Derrick White, and Kristaps Porzingis—to fill the void. “Yeah, I think for us is to continue to rally and understand that we have to do it as a group. And JB’s going to have to step up a little more. KP’s going to have to step up more. Derrick… [it] just goes down the line like that and we all just have to be ready for that,” said Horford in his pregame presser.

Jayson Tatum is vital to their success, not just in his numbers, but in his play style. A lot of Joe Mazzulla’s tactics are built around him taking advantage of weaknesses. And that’s what they need to do, try to emulate. “I just have to make sure that we continue to execute and just play our style, make sure that we get the ball where we need to get it to and take advantage of those opportunities when we get them.”

To be fair, they’ve done it before- he knows they’re not alien to playing without their star forward. They even did so without him in game 2, winning out 109-110 at the TD Garden. In fact, those times give rise to many rotational options that otherwise wouldn’t get a look in. And multiple options off the bench are what the Boston is blessed with.

“Because of that, some of our other guys have gotten opportunities. And it’s no different, our guys stay ready, we’re preparing for it. Whether it’s Sam Hauser coming off the bench and having an impact, Luke [Kornet], Baylor [Scheierman], whoever it is, we just have to stay ready at any moment. That’s what we did all season. And we’ll see what happens tonight,” said Al.

But the dismay doesn’t end there for the Greens. With Jayson Tatum out, they’d tend to look to their other beast- Jaylen Brown, for some fight. The 2024 NBA finals MVP has been killing it since his return from injury. But there’s chance they might have to do it without him.

Celtics add Jaylen Brown to injury list featuring Jayson Tatum

Such a woeful moment. Just as the Celts looked to make it a 3-0 advantage, they got the rug pulled off from underneath them. In JT’s absence, JB stepped up big with a 36/10/5 double-double in 42 long minutes. But now that he’s questionable, Beantown is in a heap of trouble.

Brown’s been dealing with a right knee posterior impingement for months and needed a pain-reducing injection ahead of the playoffs. No disrespect to the Magic, but there could be better opponents down the line. And they’ve shown their might without JT and JB. So resting could be the Brown would be the ideal option. Veteran Jrue Holiday also joins the injury list as you in the tweet attached. So their bench options will be looking to put themselves into starting contention at the Kia Center.

This is a big game for Boston. They need to show their team chemistry thriving without stars like Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. Do you think the scoreline will read 3-0 after tonight’s game?