The Atlanta Hawks and Boston Celtics meet Friday night at TD Garden in Boston, with several players listed on the official NBA injury report ahead of the 7:30 p.m. ET tipoff.
Boston enters the matchup second in the Eastern Conference at 48–24, while Atlanta sits fifth at 41–32. The game carries playoff positioning implications as the regular season enters its final stretch.
The Celtics list four players on the injury report. Jaylen Brown is questionable with left calf tightness, while Derrick White is also questionable because of a right knee contusion. Center Neemias Queta is listed as questionable with a right thumb sprain, and veteran big man Nikola Vucevic has been ruled out with a fracture in his right ring finger.
Brown has been Boston’s leading scorer this season. The forward is averaging 28.6 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 5.2 assists in 65 games while shooting 47.7 percent from the field.
White has played a major role in the Celtics’ backcourt production. He is averaging 17.2 points and 5.5 assists per game across 69 starts.
Queta has handled most of the center minutes this season. The Portuguese big man is averaging 9.9 points and 8.3 rebounds while shooting 63.9 percent from the field.
Vucevic, who has appeared in 12 games for Boston this season, averages 10.4 points and 7.2 rebounds per game.
Atlanta’s injury report includes three players, all tied to G League assignments. RayJ Dennis and Keshon Gilbert are both listed as doubtful on two-way contracts, while Asa Newell is doubtful while on assignment.
None of the three Hawks players listed on the report have been regular members of Atlanta’s primary rotation this season.
The Hawks enter the game on a three-game winning streak and have won nine of their last ten games. Atlanta defeated the Detroit Pistons 130–129 in overtime on March 25 after recording a 146–107 win over the Memphis Grizzlies two days earlier.
Jalen Johnson leads Atlanta in multiple categories. The forward is averaging 22.8 points, 10.3 rebounds, and 8.1 assists per game across 64 starts this season.
Nickeil Alexander-Walker has also been a key scorer for Atlanta, averaging 20.4 points per game while shooting 39.0 percent from three-point range.
Boston is coming off a 119–109 home win over the Oklahoma City Thunder on March 25. The Celtics split their two most recent games after a 102–92 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves on March 22.
Friday’s matchup will be the third meeting between the teams this season. Boston won the first game 132–106 on Jan. 17 in Atlanta, while the Hawks responded with a 117–106 road win on Jan. 28.
