The Boston Celtics just barely scraped by the Chicago Bulls on Saturday night, keeping their NBA Cup hopes alive. They have now won seven games in a row—the longest streak in the league—including a win over the Cleveland Cavaliers, who were handed their first loss of the season in Boston.
Since then, the Cavs haven’t been playing at the red-hot level they were before losing to Boston. They have lost two more games, both to the Atlanta Hawks, but are still 0.5 games ahead of the Celtics in the Eastern Conference standings. That means that their game on Sunday will be for the top of the East.
Here are the injury reports for the Celtics’ game against the Cavaliers on Sunday, December 1.
Celtics injury report vs. Cavaliers on Sunday, December 1
- Jaylen Brown OUT (non-COVID illness)
- Derrick White OUT (foot)
- Kristaps Porzingis AVAILABLE (injury management)
- Jrue Holiday AVAILABLE (adductor)
- Al Horford AVAILABLE (toe)
Cavaliers injury report vs. Celtics on Sunday, December 1
- Max Strus OUT (ankle)
- Dean Wade OUT (ankle)
- Emoni Bates OUT (knee)
Just one game after having a clear injury report for the first time this season, the Celtics’ list of ailments has been reloaded.
Jaylen Brown was a game-day addition to the injury report, and he will be out due to a non-COVID illness. Kristaps Porzingis is back on the injury report after one game off, as the Celtics listed him as questionable to play due to return-from-injury management. But he will be available to play.
Meanwhile, fellow big man Al Horford was also listed as questionable due to a left big toe sprain. That said, Horford has consistently been listed on the injury report with that issue, but it doesn’t seem to be hampering him too much. It may be Boston’s way of getting Horford some extra rest from time to time. Horford will play on Sunday, which means he will almost certainly miss Monday's game against the Miami Heat.
Both of the Celtics’ starting guards were also questionable to play. Jrue Holiday is dealing with right adductor tightness, while Derrick White is questionable due to a right foot sprain. Holiday will be available, but White will sit out.
White was listed as doubtful to return mid-way through the Celtics’ win over the Bulls on Saturday night and did not come back into the game.
As for the Cavs, Max Strus highlights their injury report, as he is out with an ankle issue and will reportedly be re-evaluated at some point this week.
Dean Wade has been out for the Cavs with an ankle issue as well, and Emoni Bates has surgery to repair a torn meniscus a few weeks before the start of the year. He is still out and will be for a while.
Projected starting lineups for Celtics vs. Cavaliers
Depending on injuries, this is what the Celtics could roll with:
- Jrue Holiday
- Jayson Tatum
- Sam Hauser
- Al Horford
- Kristaps Porzingis
Here is what the Cavaliers’ first five could look like:
- Darius Garland
- Donovan Mitchell
- Isaac Okoro
- Evan Mobley
- Jarrett Allen