Which Boston Celtics players will be available to suit up in a clash against their long-loathed NBA rivals, the Los Angeles Lakers, in a matchup on Thursday night?
In something of a shock, no Boston standard roster players are listed on the team’s injury report ahead of the evening’s matchup, per Noa Dalzell of SB Nation.
Clean injury report for the Celtics tonight against the Lakers!
— Noa Dalzell 🏀 (@NoaDalzell) January 23, 2025
This is a rare clean injury slate for the veteran-laden Celtics.
One-time All-Star Boston center Kristaps Porzingis has only been available for 19 games this year, after missing the Celtics’ first 17 contests of the season while recovering from an injury.
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When healthy, Porzingis has been his typically productive two-way self. The 7-foot-2 big man is averaging 18.7 points on .465/.384/.837 shooting splits, 7.1 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 1.4 blocks and 0.7 steals a night.
The 31-13 Celtics are riding relatively high after winning two consecutive contests, and currently occupy the No. 2 overall seed in the Eastern Conference, behind only the 36-7 Cleveland Cavaliers.
Los Angeles and Boston are the two halves of perhaps the most storied rivalry in the history of the NBA. They are the top two title winners in the league, with the Celtics having won an NBA-record 18 championships (including last year’s) and the Lakers having notched 17. The two clubs have met each other a record 12 times in the NBA Finals, with Boston leading those encounters 9-3.
This year’s Lakers aren’t looking likely to meet Boston in the 2025 NBA Finals, however. Led by aging All-Stars LeBron James (the league’s oldest active player at age 40) and Anthony Davis, the Lakers are 23-18 on the year and occupy the Western Conference’s fifth seed.
Per the NBA’s most recent injury report, only Boston’s three two-way players — JD Davison, Drew Peterson and Anton Watson — are away from the team, as all are putting in reps with the Celtics’ NBAGL affiliate, the Maine Celtics.
Davis (right calf soreness) and James (left foot injury management) are both probable to play. Veteran big men Jarred Vanderbilt (right foot surgery recovery) and Christian Wood (left knee surgery recovery) are the only confirmed rotation pieces on the shelf for Los Angeles.
Through 38 games each, Davis is averaging 25.7 points on .523/.318/.782 shooting splits, 11.9 rebounds, and 3.5 assists, while James is averaging 23.7 points on .513/.398/.763 shooting splits, 9.0 assists and 7.5 rebounds.
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