The Celtics and the Thunder will both be shorthanded when they face off on Thursday night in Oklahoma City. For the Celtics, Jayson Tatum is out with right Achilles injury management. It’s his first missed game since returning to the lineup last Friday, and it does not indicate he’s suffered any sort of setback.
Derrick White, who suffered a left knee contusion in Tuesday’s game against the San Antonio Spurs, remains questionable. Nikola Vucevic, who fractured his finger last Friday, is out.
And, Payton
Pritchard, who missed Tuesday’s game with neck spasms, is available.
The Thunder, meanwhile, will be without Isaiah Hartenstein (left calf contusion) and Jalen Williams (right hamstring strain). Thomas Sorber, who tore his right ACL, is out, as is Nikola Topic, who is on assignment in the G League. Branden Carlson is out with a low back strain.
But Oklahoma City won’t be as shorthanded as they were on Monday night against the Denver Nuggets, when Alex Caruso (left hip contusion) and Chet Holmgren (illness) were both sidelined.
Baylor Scheierman is likely to slot back into the starting lineup
With Jayson Tatum sidelined for the first time since making his season debut last week, Baylor Scheierman seems likely to rejoin the starting lineup. Scheierman became a regular starter for the Celtics after the midseason trade deadline, only moving to the bench upon Tatum’s return. But, he’s remained highly impactful in a bench role and could see an extended opportunity on Thursday.
Scheierman has been playing some of the best basketball of his career as of late; he’s averaging 9.3 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 2.3 assists across his last 10 games, while playing 27.7 minutes per night.
If White is to sit, it’s also likely that Ron Harper Jr. will once again get more extensive minutes. The Celtics’ two-way player is fresh off the best game of his NBA career, in which he exploded for 22 points on 8 of 11 shooting.
Joe Mazzulla has frequently turned to Harper Jr. when the Celtics have been down key players; in February, he started both games Jaylen Brown sat (both blowout wins), and on Tuesday, he played 33 minutes with Pritchard sidelined.
The Celtics could also give Hugo Gonzalez heftier minutes; the 20-year-old rookie has played fewer minutes upon Tatum’s return (17 across his last games) but could provide a defensive boost against the NBA’s best team.
A decision regarding White’s availability will be made closer to game-time. Celtics-Thunder tips off at 9:30pm ET.
After Thursday’s game, the Celtics will have one offday before returning to action on Saturday against the Washington Wizards at TD Garden.
