Joe Mazzulla, Boston Celtics
Photo by Nic Antaya/Getty Images
Joe Mazzulla, Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics are coming off one of their most resilient wins of the season.
Thursday night in Miami demanded patience. Boston fell behind early, absorbed the pressure, and waited for the game to turn. When it finally did, Anfernee Simons carried them home, pouring in a season-high 39 points and guiding a 19-point comeback that reinforced how steady this group has become.
The win kept Boston near the top of the Eastern Conference and highlighted a familiar theme. This team has learned how to survive nights that do not go as planned.
Saturday presents a different test.
The Atlanta Hawks host the Celtics at State Farm Arena, with Boston looking to build on momentum. But the injury report introduces some uncertainty before tipoff.
Celtics Likely Without Key Player
Payton Pritchard is listed as doubtful with left ankle soreness.
If Pritchard does not play, it would mark his first missed game of the season. His absence would thin a backcourt that has already carried an increased load in recent stretches.
Josh Minott remains out with a left ankle sprain, extending his absence further, while Jayson Tatum continues his recovery from a ruptured Achilles tendon.
The timing of Pritchard’s listing is notable.
Against Miami, he played limited minutes and did not appear in the fourth quarter. At the time, the decision read as situational. Simons was in rhythm and carrying the offense, and Boston leaned into it.
The ankle soreness now listed on the injury report suggests the staff may have been managing an issue that was already present.
That context matters as the Celtics prepare for Saturday without full certainty in the backcourt.
Atlanta Brings Its Own Injury Questions
The Hawks will also be shorthanded.
Kristaps Porzingis remains out with left Achilles tendinitis. The former Celtic has appeared in only a portion of Atlanta’s games this season as injuries and health concerns have limited his availability.
Zaccharie Risacher is out with a knee injury, N’Faly Dante is sidelined for the year, and Dyson Daniels is questionable with an ankle sprain.
Atlanta enters the night hovering around the play-in picture after a season defined by transition. The roster has shifted, the direction has changed, and consistency has been difficult to find.
The steady presence has been Jalen Johnson, who has taken a significant step forward and emerged as the focal point of Atlanta’s offense. Since arriving earlier in the year, Nickeil Alexander-Walker has also helped stabilize the perimeter.
Atlanta has been uneven at home this season but has been more comfortable on the road, making Saturday another test of that split.
Why Saturday Matters for Boston
Boston’s efficiency has not wavered.
Even without Tatum, the Celtics remain among the league’s most effective teams on both ends of the floor. Jaylen Brown has continued to shoulder responsibility and set the tone, while the supporting cast has stepped into expanded roles without hesitation.
If Pritchard cannot go, Simons will again be asked to manage extended stretches. That worked in Miami. It may work again.
But relying on one player to replicate a 39-point night is not the plan.
Boston’s advantage has been balance.
Atlanta may be shorthanded, but the Hawks defend, compete, and have shown they can keep games close when execution matters more than pace.
Final Word for the Celtics
Pritchard’s status will be decided closer to tipoff.
If he sits, the Celtics will adjust. They have done that all season. Injuries, rotation changes, and prolonged absences have not knocked them off course.
One game against Atlanta will not change that.
But the injury report adds another variable to a season already defined by adapting on the fly. And how Boston manages those variables continues to matter more than any single result.