Jazz Looking For Fourth Straight Win In Meeting With Injury-Riddled Celtics

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – The Utah Jazz face an injury-plagued Boston Celtics as the team goes for its fourth consecutive victory.

The Jazz are scheduled to play against the Celtics at TD Garden in Boston on Friday, March 6.

Boston will likely host Utah with a depleted lineup due to injuries suffered by some of its key players.

Injured Celtics

When the Celtics played the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday, March 4, the team had five players listed on the pregame injury report.

• Jaylen Brown – OUT (right hamstring strain)
• Javonte Green – PROBABLE (right ankle sprain)
• Gordon Hayward – OUT (right knee contusion)
• Jayson Tatum – PROBABLE (illness)
• Kemba Walker – OUT (left knee rehab)

#NEBHInjuryReport for tonight vs Cleveland:

Jaylen Brown (right hamstring strain) – OUT
Javonte Green (right ankle sprain) – PROBABLE
Gordon Hayward (right knee contusion) – OUT
Jayson Tatum (illness) – PROBABLE
Kemba Walker (left knee rehab) – OUT

— Boston Celtics (@celtics) March 4, 2020

Tatum and Green were the only players from the report who played against the Cavs. The Celtics are led this season by Tatum’s 23.6 points per game on 45.0 percent shooting.

Celtics president of basketball operations and general manager Danny Ainge told the team’s radio flagship station that Boston’s injured players “will be fine within a week-ish or less” but the team won’t rush Brown or Hayward back from their injuries.

Danny Ainge said on @985TheSportsHub he's not concerned about the #Celtics injuries and believes "everybody will be fine within a week-ish or less."

Jaylen Brown has a strained hamstring and Gordon Hayward hyperextended his knee. Won't be rushing either of them back.

— Adam Kaufman (@AdamMKaufman) March 5, 2020

Boston head coach Brad Stevens also spoke with the radio station on March 5 and said that Hayward participated in on-court work that morning but didn’t think he’d be ready for the Celtics’ game against the Jazz on March 6.

Brad Stevens told @ZoandBertrand that Gordon Hayward did a little on-court work this morning but he doubts he will play against the Jazz on Friday night.

— Brian Robb (@BrianTRobb) March 5, 2020

Later that afternoon, the Celtics ruled out Brown and Hayward for Friday’s game.

#NEBHInjuryReport for tomorrow vs Utah:

Jaylen Brown (right hamstring strain) – OUT
Gordon Hayward (right knee contusion) – OUT

— Boston Celtics (@celtics) March 5, 2020

Utah’s Winning Streak

The Jazz fell 114-103 to the Celtics in the first meeting of the season series on February 26 in Salt Lake City. Despite 37 points from Donovan Mitchell Utah suffered its fourth consecutive loss.

Since then, the Jazz have won three games in a row. After losing to the Celtics, Utah beat the Washington Wizards at Vivint Smart Home Arena before defeating the Cleveland Cavaliers and New York Knicks on the road.

📹| Wire-to-wire win in the Big Apple ⤵️#TakeNote pic.twitter.com/rFux4waOTY

— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) March 5, 2020

During the three-game winning streak, Jazzmen Donovan Mitchell and Bojan Bogdanovic lead the team in scoring with an average of 24 points per contest.

Jazz guard Mike Conley is averaging 16 points, 3 rebounds, and 6 assists per game.

Utah center Rudy Gobert is averaging a double-double with 15.7 points and 10.7 rebounds per game. He is also recording nearly four blocks a game.

Some interesting stats by the @utahjazz starting lineup during the team's current winning streak.

– Donovan's 24/6/5
– Conley's minutes going down each game
– Conley's 16/3/6
– Bogey averaging 24 points/game
– Gobert recording almost 4 blocks/game @kslsports #TakeNote pic.twitter.com/9NiVBeM0wi

— Kyle Ireland (@kyleireland) March 5, 2020

Utah vs. Boston is scheduled to tip-off at 6 p.m (MDT). The game will broadcast on NBA League Pass, AT&T SportsNet, and 97.5 FM.