Veteran guard Jrue Holiday, who has missed the past two games of the Celtics‘ series vs. Orlando due to a right hamstring strain, will remain sidelined for Game 5 on Tuesday, the team announced today (Twitter link).
The Celtics lost Game 3 in Orlando without Holiday available on Friday, but bounced back with a 107-98 victory on Sunday to take a 3-1 lead in the series.
Al Horford has taken Holiday’s spot in the starting lineup, with Sam Hauser playing an increased role off the bench and Boston leaning heavily on its stars. Jayson Tatum and Derrick White each played at least 39 minutes in Games 3 and 4, with Jaylen Brown logging 41 minutes in Sunday’s win.
Speaking of Brown, he’s listed as questionable for Game 5 due to a posterior impingement in his right knee, per the Celtics. However, the reigning NBA Finals MVP had that same questionable designation prior to Games 3 and 4 and ultimately saw a full workload in both contests, so it would be a bit of a surprise if he joins Holiday on the inactive list.
If the Celtics can wrap up their first-round series with a win over the Magic on Tuesday, the team will have a lengthier layoff before beginning its second-round series, which would give Holiday some additional recovery time.