For the past few games, the Boston Celtics have been without Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday due to an ankle and shoulder injury, respectively. Given Porzingis’ injury history and Holiday’s age, there are reasons to be concerned for the Celtics. However, it seems that everything is okay in Boston.
According to CLNS’ Bobby Manning, the injuries to Porzingis and Holiday “aren’t considered serious.” Additionally, per Manning, head coach Joe Mazzulla said the Celtics stars are “getting better every day.”
Mazzulla said before the game that Holiday and Porzingis are getting better every day, but wouldn’t provide specific details on their timetable or the seriousness of their shoulder and ankle ailments, respectively. Holiday missed his third straight game and sixth overall. Porzingis, ruled out earlier in the afternoon than most players labeled questionable are, sat out a second straight night following his sprain on Christmas. I’m told their injuries aren’t considered serious.
Boston Celtics Stars Receive Promising Injury Updates
The Celtics’ Slump Without Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday
As we head into the New Year, the Celtics are not ending 2024 on a high note. Though they are still 23-9 and second in the Eastern Conference, Boston has played very sloppy basketball recently. They have lost three of their last four games and are 5-5 in their last 10. This includes losses to the Chicago Bulls, the shorthanded Orlando Magic, and the Philadelphia 76ers on Christmas Day.
The Celtics’ recent slump comes at a very bad time for the team. Within the next few games, they will take on the Minnesota Timberwolves, Houston Rockets, Oklahoma City Thunder, and Denver Nuggets as part of a road trip. The returns of Porzingis and Holiday should help. However, for Celtics fans, things are beginning to look concerning entering 2025. Regardless, it seems that the Celtics roster is not all too concerned.
After Sunday night’s loss to the Indiana Pacers, Mazzulla said he is “really excited” about the team’s upcoming stretch.
“I’m actually really excited about it,” Mazzulla said of the schedule. “It’s going to be fun. It’s going to be great.”
Additionally, Celtics star Jayson Tatum spoke about the team’s slump and said he is “not panicking.”
“We’ve got to be better,” Jayson Tatum said. “It’s still a long season. Nobody’s panicking. We’ve got to navigate the emotional roller coaster of the NBA season. It feels a lot worse than it actually is. We’re not panicking or anything. We’ve just got to man up and look in the mirror and figure out some things that we’ve got to do better at. Everybody’s fully capable, and we’ve always done a really good job of responding, and I have no doubt that we will. So I’m not panicking, but we’ve got to be better, and we will.”
The Last Word
The Celtics are beginning to look more human, but they remain a title favorite for a reason. Every team goes through ups and downs, and the Celtics are no different. While their play on the court leaves a lot to be desired, there is no doubt they are arguably the best team in the league regardless.
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