The Boston Celtics will be noticeably shorthanded Tuesday night when they face the Miami Heat for the fourth and final time during the regular season.
The Celtics, who are playing on the second night of a back-to-back, will be without four key contributors and three starters. Jaylen Brown (right adductor injury management), Marcus Smart (right ankle sprain), Al Horford (lower back stiffness) and Malcolm Brogdon (personal reasons) all will miss the contest in Miami along with Danilo Gallinari, who has not played a game this season after an offseason ACL tear.
The Celtics are coming off a 113-98 defeat against the Orlando Magic on Monday.
The absences of Horford, Smart and Brogdon are not much of a surprise. Horford hasn’t played the second night of a back-to-back this season while Brogdon missed Monday night’s game for the same personal reasons. Smart suffered his ankle injury Saturday night and has been deemed “day-to-day” by head coach Joe Mazzulla.
Celtics-Heat is scheduled to tip off at 7:30 p.m. ET.
