3 Celtics Starters Could Miss Rockets Game Saturday

Jan 3, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Boston Celtics guard Derrick White (9) handles the ball against Houston Rockets guard Jalen Green (4) during the game at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Erik Williams-Imagn Images | Erik Williams-Imagn Images

Just a day removed from enacting their vengeance against the Philadelphia 76ers in another one-point nailbiter and winning their third straight game this season, the Boston Celtics' revamped roster will face another major test on Saturday.

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On the second night of a back-to-back slate, Boston will host another new-look squad, the mighty Houston Rockets. The action tips off at 5 p.m. ET in TD Garden.

But the Celtics could be considerably shorthanded for the evening's tilt.

Per Noa Dalzell of CelticsBlog, Boston could be missing up to three normal starters.

Celtics Injury Report vs. Houston (11/1):

Payton Pritchard - Left Ankle Sprain - PROBABLE
Jayson Tatum - Right Achilles Repair - OUT
Derrick White - Bilateral Neck Stiffness - PROBABLE

— Noa Dalzell 🏀 (@NoaDalzell) November 1, 2025

Granted, Jayson Tatum's absence is a given, thanks to his Achilles tendon recovery. But two-time All-Defensive Team guard Derrick White has been downgraded to merely probable to play through bilateral neck stiffness, while reigning Sixth Man of the Year-turned-starting point guard Payton Pritchard is also "just" probable to suit up thanks to a sprained left ankle.

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If neither player is available against the Rockets, the Celtics will be hard-pressed to defeat Kevin Durant and co. Houston may be down All-Star starting point guard Fred VanVleet, but the club's swarming perimeter defense has been able to compensate for its dropoff in creation.

Pritchard and White are probably two of the Celtics’ three best players availablw this season, behind only four-time All-Star wing Jaylen Brown. The trio represent the last key vestiges of Boston!/ champion core.

A Bummer of a Summer in Beantown

Celtics president Brad Stevens oversaw an epic, cost-cutting roster teardown over the summer. Stevens offloaded the pricey salaries of veteran starters Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday in separate transactions.

Stevens rerouted his haul from the Porzingis deal, Georges Niang and a second-round pick, to the Utah Jazz. An additional Boston second-rounder was also traded.

Cumulatively in those moves, Boston netted now-reserve guard Anfernee Simons and lost a future second-rounder.

Free agent big men Al Horford and Luke Kornet departed for greener pastures and bigger bucks.

The Celtics opted to replace them with a trio of veteran's minimum signings in now-starting power forward Josh Minott (who supplies the defense Boston is missing sans the injured Jayson Tatum, if not the offense) and big men Chris Boucher and Luka Garza.

Boston is currently .500 (3-3) after dropping its first two bouts of the season.

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