Boston Celtics vs Houston Rockets: Injury Report, Predicted Lineups and Starting 5s - October 24th, 2021 | NBA Season 2021-22
The Boston Celtics and Houston Rockets are all set to face each other for the first time in the 2021-22 NBA season. Both the Celtics and Rockets possess exceptional young talent that will only age like fine wine in the near future.
But for Boston, the season has started on a sour note. First, they lost Kemba Walker to the New York Knicks in the off-season. Then Kemba Walker and New York thwarted the Celts in a high scoring debut match for both teams. And to add insult to injury, rookie Scottie Barnes and sophomore player Precious Achiuwa steamrolled the "formidable" Boston Celtics to a thrilling 32-point victory. They will, by all means, meet the Houston Rockets hungry for a win ahead of the start of Week 2.
Meanwhile, Houston hasn't had much of a problem yet. Although they lost their first game to the blood-thristy and seemingly unstoppable Minnesota Timberwolves in their season opener, they redeemed themselves in the very next game. Jae'Sean Tate, Christian Wood and Kevin Porter Jr.'s impressive performances helped the Houston Rockets bag their first win against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Boston Celtics Injury Report
Jayson Tatum looking HUGE 💪
(📸: @celtics) https://t.co/nGy5ylKS2R
The already hurting Celts are in for another turbulent game on Sunday if Jaylen Brown remains in recovery post a sore knee. Brown is the second-best scorer on the team and his health is imperative for his team's playoffs campaign. His status for the upcoming game has been marked as questionable and there is a high probability that he will not feature in the game.
Meanwhile, Payton Pritchard's status after his nose fracture, which was deemed questionable earlier, has been cleared by Boston management in their report to the NBA. He will remain available against the Rockets but will most probably play with a face mask. Sam Hauser and Brodric Thomas will play in the G-League and therefore not play against Houston.
Houston Rockets Injury Report
Houston will face Boston on Sunday with a completely healthy roster. Stephen Silas will be able to use his pieces in the best way possible, which will undoubtedly prove to be an asset against their opponents on October 24th. Although John Wall will continue to be absent from the matches, players like Jalen Green, Christian Wood and Kevin Porter Jr. seem more than capable of compensating for Wall's absence.
Boston Celtics vs Houston Rockets: Predicted Lineups
Boston Celtics
With Brown out, we believe that Josh Richardson will be his replacement as the starting shooting guard for the Boston Celtics. Marcus Smart will continue to play as the team's point guard and join Josh on the backcourt. The frontcourt will most likely be a combination of Jayson Tatum, Al Harford and Robert Williams III.
Houston Rockets
JALEN GREEN DROPPED HIM 🤮
@JalenGreen (via @HoustonRockets)
https://t.co/9u2XrY8IL8
The Houston Rockets will, by all probabilities, start the upcoming game with the same lineup. While Green and Kevin Porter will take the reigns of the backcourt, Tate, Wood and Daniel Theis will make up the frontcourt. Eric Gordon's scoring ability while coming off the bench will also be crucial for his squad in their quest to beat the Celts.
Boston Celtics vs Houston Rockets: Predicted Starting 5s
Boston Celtics
Point Guard - Marcus Smart | Shooting Guard - Josh Richardson | Small Forward - Jayson Tatum | Power Forward - Al Harford | Center - Robert Williams III
Houston Rockets
Point Guard - Kevin Porter Jr. | Shooting Guard - Jalen Green | Small Forward - Jae'Sean Tate | Power Forward - Christian Wood | Center - Daniel Theis