The Boston Celtics return home after a rough road trip out West and take on the defending champion Milwaukee Bucks, where Jaylen Brown will be returning to the lineup with a 30-minute max.
“I’m feeling good,” Brown said after Sunday’s practice. “I’m feeling like myself, like how I started the season and how I was starting to feel coming back from COVID, getting my legs back up under me. Obviously, it’s been difficult to watch, especially wanting to be out there seeing how our team’s been fighting for the most part. It’s been hard to watch, but coming back I’m looking to just add to winning, trying to get everybody on the same page, bring energy, and make winning basketball plays.”
The Celtics and Bucks have both endured an injury-riddled season thus far. Boston has mainly missed one of their all-star performers, Brown, while Milwaukee has had players in and out of lineups all season.
Brown will be making his return to the starting lineup. Brown will return from a lingering hamstring injury that has plagued him since November 4. He sat out eight games before coming back from his hamstring strain “too early,” so Boston sidelined him for their 10-day trip out west.
“I think I came back maybe a little too early before because I was not myself,” Brown said. “And hamstring’s are a little bit tricky so we were just taking time to figure it out. The organization and the medical staff had good communication and we figured it out.”
The C’s will also be without Josh Richardson (Health and Safety Protocols), and big man Bruno Fernando (Back). Marcus Smart is listed as probable with a non-Covid related illness but is expected to play.
Milwaukee has six players listed on their injury report. Brook Lopez (Back), Donte DiVincenzo (Foot), George Hill (Reconditioning), Wesley Matthews (Health and Safety Protocols), and former Celtic Semi Ojeleye (Calf) are all listed as out for tonight’s game. DeMarcus Cousins is listed as day-to-day with a hip injury.
Tip-off is scheduled at 7:30 p.m. ET.
(Photo by Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images)