Will Jayson Tatum & Jaylen Brown Play Tonight? Inside the Celtics vs. Hornets Injury Report After Shock Loss

Last night at the Gainbridge Fieldhouse the NBA fans saw a witnessed something surreal. Yes, for the first time the defending champions the Boston Celtics lost in the current season! The Celtics finished a 132-135 overtime loss against the Indiana Pacers. But what happened? The Celtics almost lost the game in the first three quarters, as Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown failed to bring their best.

However, on November 2, the Celtics are all set to face the Charlotte Hornets, but one question remains. Will the Jays brother play tomorrow? Let’s find out.

Will the Jays brothers play? What does the injury report say?

Against the Pacers, Tatum shocked everyone. In the fourth quarter, the hooper grabbed his face and upper body, making a moment of silence in the arena. But there is nothing to worry about! Post the game, he provided an update that brought back hopes. “Came across and hit my head. The way it jerked kind of just shot down my neck and my arm was tingling. And I was in some pain for a little bit and it went away,” the hooper said. Well, there is no report of him in the injury report too. And the best part is that Jalen Brown is also fit to play. Then who is injured?

Celtics big man Kristaps Porzingis remains “out” in the injury report. Due to his rare foot injury that occurred during the 2024 NBA Finals, the hooper missed all the games this season and is expected to return in December as the team decides not to rush for his back. However, this isn’t it. The veteran center Al Horford is also reported as “out” due to load management, reports Celtis’ insider Taylor Snow. But before we go ahead, let’s discuss the shock loss against the Pacers in a bit more detail.

Tatum had a tough start, as he managed only 1 of 6 three-pointers in the first quarter. Meanwhile, the Celtics gave up 35 points to the Pacers, their highest this season for a first quarter. The defensive issues continued, with Indiana scoring over 100 points by the end of the third quarter and leading by 14.“I just really didn’t like the way I started the game. I set the tone in a negative way and my energy wasn’t where it needed to be, and I just felt like that had a domino effect. We were a step behind on offense, and on defense, so I take a lot of the blame for that. I just wanted to pick it up in the second half,” Jayson Tatum said.

Jaylen Brown, along with Tatum, took the responsibility for their slow starts. Brown stated, “Our energy was lackluster, and a lot of that is on me. I have to be better for my guys. Just converting at the rim, simple stuff, making open shots. We put ourselves in a hole early in the game, just not converting open looks, not being physical enough on drives, finishing at the rim, and a lot of that is on me.”

The MVP hit only 1 of 11 three-pointers and 11 of 30 overall while missing two important free throws at the end of the game. As a result, it led the team to down by 24 points in the second half, however; the Celtics managed to force overtime with a strong rally in the fourth quarter. This outscored the Pacers by 16 points in the last five minutes, surprising the crowd. Remember when the Celtics won several close games in the Eastern Conference Finals? That’s what this felt like!

With that said, let’s move on to the Hornets‘ injury report.

Who is injured in the Hornets?

The first hooper injured is their shooting guard DaQuan Jeffries, who is “out” due to his right-hand fracture. However, there aren’t many details on his injury, but the hooper hasn’t played any game this season. Another hooper who missed the season so far is Mark Williams and looks like he will miss against the Celtics. The injury report states he is “out” due to his tendon/foot injury. He was injured during the offseason workout and as a result, he even missed the training camp. “Mark Williams suffered a strained tendon in his left foot during an offseason workout. Williams will miss the team’s training camp and be re-evaluated in two weeks.” the team had stated.

The only player reported as “questionable” is Brandon Miller, who is dealing with a left glute strain. He sustained the injury in the season opener against the Rockets and missed the next three matchups.

In summary, the update on Tatum’s injury provides good news to the Celtics, whereas the Hornets still struggle with three big injuries. With the Celtics looking for a strong bounce back, with a strong roster can, they turn things around and secure a win against the Hornets?