UPDATED: Two Boston Celtics Starters Added To Injury Report vs. Houston Rockets

The Celtics are playing a tough back-to-back in Houston after their win in Dallas Tuesday night. And they’ll have to conjure up some magic to come away with a win, because they'll be especially shorthanded.

Mar 10, 2025; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown (7) grabs a rebound in front of forward Sam Hauser (30) during the second half at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images | Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images

The Celtics are playing a tough back-to-back in Houston after their win in Dallas Tuesday night. And they’ll have to conjure up some magic to come away with a win. 

First, their trade with Chicago, which swaps Anfernee Simons and Nikola Vucevic, won’t be made official until tomorrow, so neither player will be available for either team. Technically, Simons is still a member of the Celtics and is listed as out for personal reasons. 

Chris Boucher, who is also expected to be traded today or tomorrow, remains on the report, also as out for personal reasons. 

In addition to that, though, the Celtics will be without Sam Hauser, who will miss the game with a right thumb sprain. It wasn’t clear when during the game Tuesday night he might have suffered that. He played 26 minutes, shot 4-8 from the field and 3-7 from three to finish with 11 points and five rebounds. This will only be the second game he’s missed this season. 

Jaylen Brown is also on the report, listed out with left hamstring tightness and right knee soreness. On a recent live stream, Brown talked about playing through not only those two issues, but lingering left wrist soreness from a past surgery. 

The first hint that those leg injuries were bothering Brown on this trip came late in the Mavericks game when Dallas won a challenge, which resulted in a jump ball between any two players on the floor at the time. Since Luka Garza, who isn’t much of a leaper, was on the floor, it was up to one of the wings to take the jump. But instead of Brown, who is obviously a tremendous leaper, jumping, he left it to Derrick White. The choice seemed odd at the time, but it makes more sense now that Brown is doubtful to play in Houston. He also mentioned the hamstring after Boston’s recent double-overtime game in Brooklyn. 

“I’ve been dealing with some hamstring tightness, so I didn’t have my burst today,” he said after the win, which came in double-overtime. “They were switching the five on me … I should be able to just go by him, do what I do, but I didn’t have that acceleration tonight.”

Brown is averaging 29.5 points, seven rebounds, and 4.8 assists per game, all career-highs. He currently leads the NBA in field goals made and attempted per game, and two-point field goals attempted per game. 

The Houston Rockets will be without Steven Adams, who recently had season-ending ankle surgery. Dorian Finney-Smith is also out, and Kevin Durant is probable with an ankle sprain. Fred VanVleet has missed the entire season after a preseason ACL tear. 

The Celtics return home to host Miami, New York, and Chicago before the All-Star break. 

(This post has been updated to reflect the Celtics pregame update that Brown is out. He was originally listed as questionable)