The Boston Celtics made a major injury announcement just hours before Friday nightâs game against the Milwaukee Bucks at Fiserv Forum, clarifying the status of a key player ahead of tipoff. According to the NBA’s official April 3 injury report, the Celtics have only one player listed as out for the game, as Boston goes for its 52nd win on the season with six games left to play.
The Celticsâ performance is especially remarkable in a season when experts had predicted a win total of 43 or 44, as Boston was missing four-time All-NBA First Team selection Jayson Tatum for the first 62 games as Tatum rehabilitated from surgery to repair a torn Achilles tendon.
According to the NBAâs official April 3 injury report, Boston enters the matchup with a surprisingly clean slate compared to Milwaukee, where multiple rotation players â including Giannis Antetokounmpo â remain sidelined.
But Tatum has missed just two of the 14 Celtics games since he returned on March 6, both times due only to rest, not any new injury. The Celtics star will play again on Friday as he goes for his fourth straight game with at least 25 points scored.
The Bucks are a different story. In a season ruined by injuries, including to their own seven-time All-NBA First Team selection, Antetokounmpo, who will also be out on Friday, missing his 10th straight game, and 26th of the Bucks’ last 32.
Bucks Reveal Devastating Injury Report
Here is the latest injury report for the Boston Celtics and Milwaukee Bucks ahead of tonightâs matchup:
| Team | Player | Status | Injury |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boston Celtics | |||
| Boston Celtics | Nikola Vucevic | Out | Right Ring Finger; Fracture |
| Milwaukee Bucks | |||
| Milwaukee Bucks | Giannis Antetokounmpo | Out | Left Knee; Hyperextension; Bone Bruise |
| Milwaukee Bucks | Thanasis Antetokounmpo | Questionable | Left Calf; Strain |
| Milwaukee Bucks | Kevin Porter Jr. | Out | Right Knee; Synovitis |
| Milwaukee Bucks | Bobby Portis | Out | Left Wrist; Sprain |
| Milwaukee Bucks | Ryan Rollins | Probable | Right Hip; Strain |
| Milwaukee Bucks | Jericho Sims | Probable | Right Patella; Tendinopathy |
| Milwaukee Bucks | Gary Trent Jr. | Questionable | Left Hip; Pointer |
With an injury report as lopsided as that one, it should not be surprising that the Celtics go into the road game favored by 17 1/2 points, as determined by Yahoo! Sports oddsmaker Zak Hanshew.
Tatum’s Performance Since Return is Unprecedented
Tatum ruptured his right Achilles tendon on May 12 of last year, in an Eastern Conference second-round playoff game against the New York Knicks. He underwent surgery right away, and on April 1 of this year, just over 10 months after the surgery, Tatum recorded his first triple-double of the year, scoring 25 with 11 assists and 18 rebounds against the Miami Heat.
“The Celtics are 10-2 with Tatum in the lineup. They own a net rating of plus-10.0 with him on the court. He has already racked up one triple-double, six additional double-doubles and a 32-point, eight-assist, five-rebound effort against the Charlotte Hornets,” reported Jay King of The Athletic. “He was named Eastern Conference Player of the Week after averaging 25.7 points, 9.7 rebounds and 6.7 assists per game last week, then led the Celtics past the Miami Heat with 25 points, 18 rebounds and 11 assists on Wednesday.”
The Celtics, King reported, have won seven of the 12 games Tatum has played by double digits. They defeated the reigning NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder by 10 points at home on March 20, after losing to the Thunder on the road by just two points eight days earlier.
“The rest of the Eastern Conference must be sick. Tatumâs injury was supposed to end Bostonâs chances this season,” King wrote on Friday.
Instead, Tatum will play on Friday as he looks to propel the Celtics to their fourth straight season with at least 52 wins.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Celtics Announce Major Injury Update Before Bucks Game appeared first on Heavy Sports.