The Celtics will be without Paul George when they face the Houston Rockets on Monday night. George will miss his first game of the season as he rests on the second night of a back-to-back. Mitchell Robinson sat out his first game of the season on Sunday night, the first night of a back-to-back against the Orlando Magic.
George is averaging 20.7 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 assists, shooting 46.2% from the field,
and he played in both nights of the Celtics’ back-to-back against the Chicago Bulls and Brooklyn Nets last week.
George has routinely said he’s felt healthy this season, and so far, he’s averaged 31 minutes per game.
“This summer really was a chance to continue to work: strengthen my body, strengthen my knee,” he said on Media Day. “It’s almost like a kind of rebirth, or reborn again — to be in a system, to be in a winning culture, a winning environment, and to feel good. To be able to work, to be able to train again in the summers — my summers the last couple of years were dedicated to rehab.”
The Rockets will be without Steven Adams (right soleus strain) and Clint Capela (right ankle sprain). Reed Sheppard, who is dealing with a low back strain, is questionable.
Jordan Walsh, Sam Hauser, and Baylor Scheierman could all start in place of George
The Celtics started Derrick White, Hugo Gonzalez, Paul George, Jayson Tatum, and Neemias Queta on Sunday night. With George sidelined, Jordan Walsh — who started the first five games of the season — could start in his place.
It remains to be seen whether Robinson will return to the starting lineup after missing Sunday’s game. Queta recorded 8 points, 8 rebounds, and 2 blocks in 27 minutes in his first start of the season on Sunday.
Walsh came off the bench for the first time all year in the Celtics’ 108-97 win over the Magic.
Baylor Scheierman and Sam Hauser haven’t started this season, but both started games at times last year and could replace George in the lineup. Scheierman averages 4.5 points and 3 rebounds in 18.5 minutes per game, while Hauser averages 8 points and 3.2 rebounds.
Celtics-Rockets game tips off at 8:30pm ET.
