Boston Celtics injury news: 2021 All-Star in, former ROY out vs. Thunder

The Boston Celtics look to run their win streak to lucky No. 7 on November 14 when they host the Oklahoma City Thunder at home — and luckily, they’ll also be returning No. 7 to the lineup after a one-game absence this past Saturday against the Detroit Pistons.

Jaylen Brown, who is averaging 25 points per game, will be active as the Cs battle an OKC squad that is outperforming expectations so far in 2022-23 without their No. 2 overall draft pick this past June, Chet Holmgren. Holmgren suffered a Lisfranc injury to his right foot over the summer. Brown missed his first game of the season against the Pistons with a left knee contusion.

While there is good news on the Brown front, Boston has bad injury news elsewhere. Malcolm Brogdon, the C’s marquee offseason addition and former Rookie of the Year, will be missing his third straight game with right hamstring tightness.

With no Malcolm Brogdon in the Boston Celtics lineup, Payton Pritchard inherits more opportunities

The Boston Celtics will be down a key piece without Malcolm Brogdon on Monday, but they do have the depth to survive it. Payton Pritchard, who had a breakout game against the Denver Nuggets on Friday with an 11-point, five-rebound night, should inherit more opportunities against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Overall, Pritchard has had a down year in 2022-23, particularly when juxtaposed with his first two seasons in the league. His 3-point efficiency is down, but playing in mostly garbage time minutes has had a lot to do with that.

With Brogdon out, Pritchard will be the primary ball-handler in the second unit along with Derrick White, giving him the chance to earn more minutes even when Brogdon returns. If the Celtics-Thunder matchup plays out how sportsbooks expect it to, Pritchard could be in line for an extended opportunity to do just that.