It doesn’t come as a huge surprise, but the Boston Celtics will be without one of its core players for its season opener Wednesday.
In the first game of the year against the New York Knicks, veteran big Al Horford has been ruled out as expected. Jaylen Brown’s availability, however, is still up in the air.
Both Horford and Brown tested positive for COVID-19 during preseason. It was anticipated that Brown would be out of the NBA’s health and safety protocols by Wednesday, but he’s listed as questionable on the team’s injury report as he recovers.
Brown and Horford were asymptomatic, so Horford shouldn’t be out much longer.
They’re the second and third members of the organization to test positive in the new season, as Ime Udoka dealt with the virus right before training camp.
The Celtics and Knicks tip off at 7:30 p.m. ET at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday.
