Inside The Celtics

Stars From Both Teams Fill Boston Celtics vs. Phoenix Suns Injury Report

What was supposed to be a matchup between two of the most surprising teams in the NBA this season, but a lot of the star power might be missing due to injuries.
John Karalis|
Dec 7, 2022; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown (7) defends against Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker (1) at Footprint Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
Dec 7, 2022; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown (7) defends against Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker (1) at Footprint Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

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Boston CelticsPhoenix Suns

The Tuesday night matchup between the Celtics and Suns was supposed to feature two of the most surprising teams in the NBA. Injuries have sapped some of the Suns magic, but they're still 33-25 after a hot start. The Celtics are obviously rolling right now, winning eight of their last nine games and holding on to the East’s second seed. 

But this matchup will now be lacking a lot of star power. 

The Celtics added Jaylen Brown to the injury report, listing him as questionable with a right knee contusion. Jayson Tatum remains out as he works his way back from the right Achilles tear.

Brown is coming off a 32-point night in a 22-point win over the Los Angeles Lakers, but they wrap up their road trip with a back-to-back against Phoenix and Denver. Brown and the Celtics may elect to play it safe with Brown against the injury-riddled Suns and have him back for the ESPN game against Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets. 

The reason why they might feel comfortable with that plan is that Phoenix will be without Devin Booker (hip), Dillon Brooks (hand), Jordan Goodwin (calf), and Haywood Highsmith (knee). Grayson Allen is questionable as the Suns manage knee and ankle injuries. 

Booker strained his hip against the San Antonio Spurs, and will be re-evaluated next week. Suns head coach Jordan Ott said the injury doesn’t appear to be too serious, so he might be back in action fairly soon. 

Brooks, on the other hand, will be out four-to-six weeks, according to ESPN. He broke his left hand against the Orlando Magic on Saturday. Brooks has been a major part of the Suns’ success this season, averaging nearly 21 points per game and giving them a defensive edge that has been missing in recent years.

"We can't feel sorry for ourselves. No one's going to feel sorry for ourselves," Ott said of the injuries of their win over Orlando. 

"[Opponents] surely aren't going to. They're trying to go out and win the game just like we are. No one cares. No one cares, and the only group that can help us when you're stranded is our group. So we just got to find the solution."  

The injuries could help the Celtics get one step closer to the 40-20 rule. Phil Jackson once said that serious contenders for a championship have to win 40 games before they lose 20, and history has proven him mostly right.

Since 1980, only four teams have won a championship without reaching the 40-20 rule: the 1994–95 Houston Rockets, the 2003–04 Detroit Pistons, the 2005–06 Miami Heat, and the 2020–21 Milwaukee Bucks. Everyone else, including the 2024 Celtics, won 40 games before losing 20.

The Celtics need wins over Phoenix, Denver, and Brooklyn at home on Friday to get to 40 wins. They currently have 19 losses. 

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John Karalis
JOHN KARALIS

John Karalis is a 20-year veteran of Celtics coverage and was nominated for NSMA's Massachusetts Sportswriter of the Year in 2019. He has hosted the Locked On Celtics podcast since 2016 and has written two books about the Celtics. John was born and raised in Pawtucket, RI. He graduated from Shea High School in Pawtucket, where he played football, soccer, baseball, and basketball and was captain of the baseball and basketball teams. John graduated from Emerson College in Boston with a Bachelor of Science degree in Broadcast Journalism and was a member of their Gold Key Honor Society. He was a four-year starter and two-year captain of the Men’s Basketball team, and remains one of the school's top all-time scorers, and Emerson's all-time leading rebounder. He is also the first Emerson College player to play professional basketball (Greece). John started his career in television, producing and creating shows since 1997. He spent nine years at WBZ, launching two different news and lifestyle shows before ascending to Executive Producer and Managing Editor. He then went to New York, where he was a producer and reporter until 2018. John is one of Boston’s original Celtics bloggers, creating RedsArmy.com in 2006. In 2018, John joined the Celtics beat full-time for MassLive.com and then went to Boston Sports Journal in 2021, where he covered the Celtics for five years. He has hosted the Locked On Celtics podcast since 2016, and it currently ranks as the #1 Boston Celtics podcast on iTunes and Spotify rankings. He is also one of the co-hosts of the Locked on NBA podcast.

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