The Celts He could potentially be without as many as three rotation players on Monday night when they return to TD Garden to face the Houston Rockets.
The team announced Monday morning that backup forward Sam Hauser has been added to the injury report with a right hip strain. It is listed as questionable, Plus Al Horford (Toe Sprain) and Derrick White (Shin Contuce).
Hauser previously dealt with a back problem that forced him to miss time periodically this year, so the hip injury is a new concern. White was also on the injury report ahead of the Mavericks win on Saturday due to a sore knee.
The Celtics will look to build on a 3-1 to 3-1 success against a surging Rockets team. They crushed a nonstop Houston squad in Houston on Jan. 3, but the Rockets will have more reinforcements on the schedule for this contest, including defensive tackle Tari Eason. Jabari Smith Jr.’s starting power. is out with a broken hand for Houston. Reserve center Tari Eason is questionable due to illness.
The Rockets have won eight of their last 10 games overall, including home-and-home wins against the Cleveland Cavaliers in Series AA over their last two games. Monday’s game will mark the second time IME Udoka has returned to coach at TD Garden since he was suspended and ultimately dismissed for a violation of team policy prior to the 2022-23 regular season.
Udoka took over the Rockets job before the 2023-24 season and has gone 0-3 against Boston over the past season and a half. He still keeps tabs on his former team and was talking about them happily earlier this month winning the NBA championship last season without him.
“Happy for them for sure and not surprised,” Udoka said. “He was coming up regardless and so they were taking the steps that they had before they got there — and then the year I was there, obviously, that fell short that year. I know he fueled everybody to come back and I motivated to do it when I got there. I’m very excited for them and I’m not surprised at the leap they took.”
The Celtics and Rockets tip off at 7:30pm on Monday night.
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