Celtics’ Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown in Danger of Missing Wizards Match

Ricardo Klein | Apr 5, 2025

Oct 24, 2024; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (0) celebrates with Celtics guard Jaylen Brown (7) against the Washington Wizards in the first half at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images / Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

The Boston Celtics could be without their top two players for Sunday's contest against the lowly Washington Wizards: Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.

The Celtics listed Tatum and Brown as questionable ahead of the game.

Injury Report for tomorrow vs. WAS:

Jaylen Brown (right knee posterior impingement) - QUESTIONABLE
Jayson Tatum (left ankle sprain) - QUESTIONABLE

— Boston Celtics (@celtics) April 5, 2025

Tatum lands on the injury report with a left ankle sprain. Brown is on there with a right knee posterior impingement.

Tatum, 27, is coming off an all-around performance in Friday's win over the Phoenix Suns, where he tallied 23 points, eight rebounds, and eight assists—flirting with a triple-double. However, he’s currently managing a sprained left ankle that could sideline him for Sunday’s matchup against Washington. Should he be unavailable, Sam Hauser is expected to take on an increased role.

Brown also impressed in Friday’s game, dropping 31 points against the Suns. That said, he’s dealing with a knee issue that could potentially keep him out of Sunday’s contest as well. If the reigning NBA Finals MVP is unable to suit up, the Celtics are likely to lean on a combination of Sam Hauser, Payton Pritchard, and Baylor Scheierman to help fill the void.

These two players have been pillars of the team throughout the season. Tatum has been stellar all season long, putting up MVP-like numbers, averaging 26.9 points per game, 8.7 rebounds, 6.0 assists, and 1.1 steals while shooting 45.2 percent from the field and 34.4 percent from three in 70 games and 36.3 minutes of action.

Brown has been equally stellar, averaging 22.6 points per game, 5.9 rebounds, 4.6 assists, and 1.2 steals while shooting 46.4 percent from the field and 32.4 percent from three in 61 games and 34.7 minutes of action.

With or without the presence of Brown or Tatum, the Celtics will aim to notch their 58th victory of the season as they head into the final stretch of the regular season with just five games remaining.

Boston appears on track to lock in the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference. Even so, the Celtics remain the team everyone is chasing, as the reigning NBA champions. The path to the title may not run entirely through TD Garden, but Boston’s pedigree and depth make them the squad to beat.

The Celtics hold a 35-12 record against Eastern Conference opponents and rank eighth in the league in rebounding with 45.1 boards per game—led by Tatum’s 8.7 per contest.

On the other side, the Wizards are just 12-35 in conference play and have struggled mightily against top-tier teams, posting a 6-35 record against teams with winning records.

Boston has taken nine of its last 10 games and continues to look sharp heading into the postseason.

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For more news and notes on the Boston Celtics, visit Boston Celtics on SI.