Is James Harden playing tonight vs Celtics? James Harden injury update

The Brooklyn Nets will go up against the Boston Celtics on Friday at 5:00 PM local time (Saturday at 2:30 AM IST). The Nets are currently sitting at the second spot of the Eastern Conference standings, but have been struggling for the past few weeks. They have lost four of their past seven matches, including an 11-point defeat to the Toronto Raptors in their last game (114-103).

According to many, the biggest reason behind the Nets' recent defeat was the absence of top players James Harden and Kevin Durant, who are currently recovering from injury. Kyrie Irving, who’s also struggling with his health, tried his best to turn things around, but Pascal Saikam and team toppled them, earning their fourth straight wins. However, Irving was the top scorer of the night, dropping 28 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists for the Nets (39-20). Bruce Brown and Joe Harris and played their part, adding 21 and 14 points, respectively.

James Harden injury update: when is James Harden coming back?

On April 5, 2021, James Harden was sidelined due to an injury. An MRI report later confirmed that James Harden was forced to withdraw in the first quarter against the Knicks due to a hamstring strain. Earlier, rumours were swirling around the 31-year-old is responding well to his treatment and could make his return soon. However, Nets recently squashed the rumours, claiming that Harden be will out of the tournament “indefinitely”.

“We'll support James and our performance team in getting him back in as best condition as possible. And hopefully that comes sooner than later, but there's no guarantee,” said Nets coach Steve Nash.

Because of this, it is confirmed that a James Harden return is not likely in the upcoming game against the Boston Celtics as he’s currently recovering from his injury. Despite that, the Brooklyn Nets still boast a strong line-up, with Kyrie Irving, Joe Harris and others expected to shine in Harden’s absence.

Is James Harden playing tonight? NBA standings update

While the Nets are at the second spot of the EC table with a win-loss record of 39-20, the Boston Celtics are at the sixth spot. Jayson Tatum and team have played 59 games so far in the tournament, winning 32 and losing 27.

Brooklyn Nets and Boston Celtics injury report

Brooklyn Nets: The Nets will once again be without several star players. James Harden (hamstring) and Chris Chiozza (hand) are ruled out indefinitely due to long-term issues, while Kevin Durant (thigh) and Tyler Johnson (knee) are listed as doubtful. Reggie Perry and Nicolas Claxton, on the other hand, would be out due to COVID-19 protocols.

Boston Celtics: The Celtics will be without Robert Williams III and Evan Fournier because of COVID-19 protocols, while Jaylen Brown is the only player on the day-to-day list due to a shoulder problem.

Image Source: AP