The Boston Celtics and Milwaukee Bucks will tip off Thursday at 8:00 PM ET at Fiserv Forum, with both teams dealing with significant injuries that could impact the game’s outcome. Boston enters on a five-game winning streak at 15-9, while Milwaukee looks to snap a two-game skid with a 10-15 record.
Boston will be without Jayson Tatum (right Achilles repair), Chris Boucher (illness), Ron Harper Jr. (right knee sprain), Amari Williams (right hand hairline fracture), and G League call-up Max Shulga. Jaylen Brown (29.1 PPG, 6.2 RPG, 4.9 APG) is the clear focal point of the offense.
Milwaukee will miss Giannis Antetokounmpo (right calf strain), Taurean Prince (neck surgery), Alex Antetokounmpo, and Mark Sears (both two-way G League players). AJ Green is listed as questionable with a left AC joint sprain, leaving the Bucks reliant on Ryan Rollins (17.5 PPG, 6.0 APG) and Myles Turner (12.6 PPG, 5.7 RPG) to anchor scoring and defense.
The Celtics’ supporting cast includes Derrick White (17.5 PPG, 5.3 APG), Payton Pritchard (17.1 PPG, 5.0 APG), and Neemias Queta (10.1 PPG, 8.2 RPG), who will be critical in defending Milwaukee’s paint presence. Boston’s bench depth could be tested with multiple forwards and bigs sidelined, including Williams and Harper Jr.
Milwaukee’s scoring burden may fall on Kevin Porter Jr. (21.8 PPG, 5.8 APG), Ryan Rollins (17.5 PPG), and Kyle Kuzma (12.8 PPG, 4.4 RPG) in the absence of Giannis, who averages 28.9 points and 10.1 rebounds per game. Turner’s ability to stretch the floor and contest shots inside will be vital against Boston’s frontcourt rotation.
This marks the first meeting of the season between the two teams.
