Boston Celtics Injury Report: Kyrie Irving, Others Out vs. Pelicans, Anthony Davis questionable

 Fresh off of tying the record for the biggest road blowout in NBA history, the Boston Celtics put their 5-game winning streak on the line tonight when they welcome Anthony Davis and the Pelicans.

UPDATE: Kyrie Irving, and Gordon Hayward have been ruled out for Monday’s game with the New Orleans Pelicans. 

All eyes are on Anthony Davis heading into Monday’s matchup with the Boston Celtics after Davis suffered a hip injury in Detroit on Sunday.

He is officially listed as ‘questionable’ ahead of the 7:30 PM scheduled tip off. Davis is having an MVP caliber season, with career highs in rebounds (12.4 rpg) assists (4.9 apg) blocks (3 bpg) and steals (1.6 spg).

Davis’ presence would sorely be missed as his team will be tasked with taking down the red-hot Celtics, owners of the longest active winning streak (5) in the NBA. A streak that began with a 17-point shelling of the Pelicans just a few weeks ago.

Since that game, the Celtics have entirely flipped the script from an offensive standpoint. Boston leads the league in points per game, field goal percentage, three-pointers made, and assists since November 26th. Most remarkably, their average margin of victory during this stretch sits at a whopping 28.6 points per game.

Most importantly, the team is having fun again. Shots are falling, guys are playing unselfish basketball, and making sacrifices for the betterment of the team. Gordon Hayward and Jaylen Brown gracefully bowed out of the starting lineup, and the Marcus’s have stepped up and given the team the shot in the arm they needed.

For the first time in a long time, the Boston Celtics are playing the type of basketball that the world knows they are capable of.

That being said, the NBA season is a long one, and the importance of continued improvement cannot be overstated. If the C’s wish to extend their streak to 6 tonight, they will have to do it without the help of several of their key players. The team’s official injury list is a significant area of concern, as the injury bug continues to hit Boston hard.

Aron Baynes has missed the last several games but is recovering well from the left ankle sprain and should return to the lineup soon. The Celtics will have a very hard time stopping Davis (assuming AD plays) if Big Al can’t suit up tonight with Baynes also sidelined.

Gordon Hayward was initially ruled ‘doubtful’ with an unspecified illness. Hayward is just a little over a week removed from his 30-point performance against the Timberwolves. He has made significant strides in his recovery as of late, upping his scoring to 14.3 ppg in December to go along with 6.7 rebounds and 6 assists per contest.

Gordon’s absence off of the bench will be major, particularly with Kyrie Irving out with shoulder soreness. Irving has only missed one game this season, which resulted in a road loss against the Utah Jazz back in early November.

Boston is no stranger to the injury bug, and Brad Stevens has always harped on the ‘next man up’ mentality. Terry Rozier will get the starting nod in place of Irving, and guys that don’t normally play big minutes should be prepared to see some impactful time on the court tonight.

The Celtics are facing their toughest challenge yet on this winning streak. Will the team find a way to make it 6 in a row, or will the injuries be too much to handle?