The Boston Celtics announced that both Jayson Tatum (left ankle sprain management) and Sam Hauser (right shoulder impingement) are out against the Indiana Pacers.
This will be Tatum’s third missed game this season after initially hurting his ankle against the Warriors in December. Tatum is fresh off of a 38 points, 13 rebounds, and 6-assist performance against the Pacers over the weekend.
Unfortunately, Hauser will miss his first game of the season tonight. The sharpshooter has been averaging a career-high in minutes (22.2), points (8.5), and rebounds (3.6) per game. However, as CelticsBlog and CLNS Media’s Bobby Manning pointed out, Hauser struggled with a shoulder injury his rookie year. Over the last 10 games, his three-point shooting has taken a hit.
Jayson Tatum (ankle management) & Sam Hauser (shoulder) out at Indiana tonight. Hauser’s shoulder impingement is worth watching. He had an issue with that shoulder during his rookie season and is down to 32% 3PT over his last 10 games (50 att.).
— Bobby Manning (@RealBobManning) January 8, 2024
Although the Celtics will be short-handed, they will have Kristaps Porzingis (right eye irritation) available. Porzingis was poked in the eye by Aaron Nesmith in Boston’s 118-101 win on Saturday. Porzingis did return to the game, but after a few minutes, the Latvian checked out and didn’t return.
Oshae Brissett may be the player who benefits the most with Hauser missing. Brissett, who has struggled for consistent minutes at the start of the season has started to carve a role in the team. In the last five games, Brissett played 15 minutes against Toronto, 21 against San Antonio, DNP against Oklahoma City, 17 against the Utah Jazz, and 20 minutes against the Pacers.
Boston (28-7) will look to increase its league-leading record at 7 p.m. against the Indiana Pacers.
