The Boston Celtics will find themselves without two starters in their rematch with the Utah Jazz Friday in shooting guard Jaylen Brown and forward Gordon Hayward, according to the team.
As bad as that sounds when facing one of the West’s better teams thick in the hunt for the East’s second seed, the team will have starting point guard Kemba Walker back in uniform after the UConn product sat out Wednesday night’s win over the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Still on a minutes restriction after returning from a sore knee bothering Walker since the 2020 NBA All-Star Game, the Bronx native joined the duo sitting against the Jazz as inactive.
Hayward will not be facing his former team due to a knee contusion sustained in the Mar. 3 loss to the Brooklyn Nets after colliding with teammate Daniel Theis in the second quarter.
Brown — who pulled a hamstring in that same loss — will likely not play again before the team’s Mar. 12 tilt with the Milwaukee Bucks.
The Georgian is taking great care not to re-aggravate it just weeks away from the 2020 NBA Playoffs given he’s had a similar issue with his hamstrings in the past.
