Jayson Tatum returns when the Celtics face the Wizards on Saturday night at TD Garden. Tatum, who made his season debut last Friday, played in three consecutive games before he sat out on Thursday night vs the Oklahoma City Thunder.
In addition, Derrick White, who missed Thursday’s game with a right knee contusion, is listed as probable on the injury report. A one-game absence likely signals the injury is not a severe one.
Baylor Scheierman appeared to be in pain at the conclusion of Thursday’s game after rolling his ankle. But, like White, Scheierman is listed as probable — also a good sign when it comes to getting a better sense at how severe his ankle injury might be.
The only Celtic expected to miss Saturday’s contest is Nikola Vucevic, who has missed three straight games since fracturing his right ring finger last Friday.
How the Celtics, Wizards stack up
The Celtics and Wizards are two teams headed in complete opposite directions. The Celtics are 43-23, owners of the Eastern Conference’s second-best record. The Wizards, meanwhile, are 15-51, owners of the Eastern Conference’s second-worst record. The Celtics have the NBA’s second-best net rating at +7.8; the Wizards have the NBA’s worst net rating at -10.9.
The Wizards will be without Anthony Davis, who has yet to lace up for DC. Kyshawn George (left elbow sprain) and Cam Whitmore (right shoulder deep vein thrombosis) are also out, while Sharife Cooper (right ankle/foot sprain) is questionable.
The rest of the Wizards roster — Alex Sarr (17.2 points, 7.6 rebounds), Trae Young (14.7 points, 6.7 assists), and Jaden Hardy (12.8 points) have led the way. But, the Wizards have lost 10 straight — including infamously giving up 83 points to Bam Adebayo in a loss to the Heat on Tuesday night.
The two teams have faced off twice this season (in November and in December), and both times, the Celtics walked away with blowout wins.
The Celtics are set to face the Wizards in a third and final match-up at 6pm ET on Sunday.
