The regular season is a grind in the NBA, and more than a dozen notable players across the league have already missed time due to injury. With this in mind, it makes sense that the Boston Celtics are electing to rest center Mitchell Robinson ahead of their Sunday afternoon showdown with the 2-3 Orlando Magic.
The Celtics are 4-1 to start the 2026-27 campaign and are riding a four-game winning streak. Their momentum will be on the line in Orlando against a Magic team with significant injuries, as star forward Paolo Banchero (high ankle sprain) and guard Jalen Suggs (right knee contusion) are out. Perhaps the Magic's major absences are why the C's felt comfortable sitting Robinson with a rest designation. However, the prevailing reason might be because
of the Celtics' schedule. They must leave Orlando following the Sunday matinee and travel to Texas to face the Houston Rockets on Monday night as part of their second back-to-back set of games this season.
Robinson has had a relatively slow start to his Boston tenure, averaging 6.6 points and 4.6 rebounds in 20 minutes per game. His conditioning has also looked spotty at times, but it's worth noting that his most recent outing against the Chicago Bulls on Friday night was his best performance thus far. The 28-year-old logged 11 points (on 100 percent shooting from the field) in 19 minutes to go along with 4 rebounds and 1 block.
Some rest could help Robinson keep up with the Celtics' active, fast-moving offense. Plus, Boston will need his size on Monday against the 5-1 Rockets, who typically start three near-7-footers.
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This article originally appeared on Celtics Wire: Boston Celtics rest key player vs. Orlando Magic with upcoming back-to-back
