Prior to the Boston Celtics' 134-99 drubbing of the Chicago Bulls on Monday night, head coach Joe Mazzulla was asked how he'll handle back-to-backs for the Green Team and its multiple players with complicated injury histories. The reigning NBA Coach of the Year said the Celtics' approach "depends" and didn't delve into the details (as he rarely does with injury reports), yet it looks like the medical staff gave almost every player the green light for a Tuesday night showdown with the Brooklyn Nets, which is the second leg of Boston's first back-to-back set of games of the young season.
According to Celtics PR, guards Devin Carter and Derrick White are the only Celtics with injury designations for Tuesday's Atlantic Division matchup. Carter is officially
ruled out and hasn't logged any minutes this season due to an untimely case of mononucleosis, however, he was visible on the sidelines for the first time on Monday. Meanwhile, White is listed as probable with right hip synovitis.
What's most notable about the Celtics' latest injury report isn't which players are included, but which players are excluded. First-year Celtics Paul George and Mitchell Robinson — who have had their fair share of injury issues in the past — should be good to go. Moreover, Celtics star Jayson Tatum missed over 60 games last season while recovering from a ruptured Achilles. Despite this recent rehabbing stint, Tatum holds no injury designation ahead of Boston's home contest versus Brooklyn.
Perhaps the Celtics crushing the Bulls early in the second half is the reason for this light report, as no Green Teamer even reached 30 minutes in the blowout win at TD Garden. Or, maybe the C's are confident in the strength of their guys and aren't concerned about testing their stamina four games in.
Regardless of the exact reason, the 2-1 Celtics will have nearly their whole roster available when they take on the winless Nets at 7:30 p.m. (EST).
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This article originally appeared on Celtics Wire: Several older, oft-injured Celtics cleared for second leg of back-to-back vs. Nets
