The Boston Celtics are listing three players as out for their game against the Milwaukee Bucks on Thursday: Chris Boucher, Ron Harper Jr., and Amari Williams. Jayson Tatum is also out, as he has been all season, while he continues to recover from his ruptured Achilles. Boucher, Harper, and Williams are all new additions to the injury report.
Boucher has a non-COVID illness, Harper has a right knee sprain, and Williams is dealing with a hairline fracture in his right hand. There has been no indication regarding how long each of the players could be out, but none have been every-night players for Boston this year, so their absences shouldn’t affect the Celtics’ rotations.
Harper hasn’t played rotational minutes for the Celtics yet this season, and Williams has only appeared in a couple of games as part of Joe Mazzulla’s core group. As for Boucher, he hasn’t appeared in 14 of the Celtics’ last 16 games.
**Celtics add three players to injury report vs. Bucks**
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Here are the full injury reports for both teams heading into Thursday night’s game:
**Celtics injury report**
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* Chris Boucher - Illness (Non-Covid) - OUT
* Ron Harper Jr - Right Knee Sprain - OUT
* Jayson Tatum - Right Achilles Repair - OUT
* Amari Williams - Right Hand Hairline Fracture - OUT
**Bucks injury report**
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* AJ Green - Shoulder - DAY-TO-DAY
* Giannis Antetokounmpo - Calf - OUT
* Thanasis Antetokounmpo - Herniated disc in neck - OUT
Giannis Antetokounmpo’s absence for the Bucks’ game against the Celtics is by far the most significant of any player listed on the injury report, as he’s spearheaded Milwaukee’s success this year.
With Antetokounmpo healthy this season, the Bucks have gone 9-8. Without him in the lineup, they are 1-7. Now, because of his injury, they are sitting in 10th place in the East, but effectively tied with the Chicago Bulls, who are in 11th.
As for Boston, outside of Tatum, they aren’t missing anyone who has played on a night-to-night basis this season.
Boucher has been thrust out of the lineup with guys like Luka Garza, Xavier Tillman, and even Josh Minott, who has [led small-ball lineups](https://hardwoodhoudini.com/celtics-masterfully-achieving-top-priority-changing-future). Those groups have worked well for the Celtics.
“I thought it's been good,” Pritchard said at Wednesday’s practice when asked about Boston’s small-ball lineups. “I mean, we're gonna have to play small ball. We're not the biggest team. I think Neemi's our only seven-footer, besides, like Amari, so we're gonna have to go small-ball and learn how to play. But it's been effective.”
With Myles Turner and Jericho Sims holding down the Bucks’ front-court and Antetokounmpo out, these groups could once again be useful for the Celtics on Thursday.