Update: Deni Avdija has been ruled out. Robert Williams III is available. Per Tiago Splitter, Portland plans on having Avdija play on Tuesday against the Wizards for the second leg of a back-to-back.
Trail Blazers forward Deni Avdija missed Portland's Jan. 23 contest against the Toronto Raptors after reinjuring his lower back. He was listed as doubtful heading into that matchup, so it's a promising development that he's been upgraded to questionable against the Boston Celtics.
Monday's game has a 5 PM PST tip-off with Portland playing on the road in the TD Garden. We will update Avdija's status and the injury reports for both the Blazers and Celtics as more information comes in closer to tip-off.
Portland Trail Blazers injury report
Here is Portland's injury report:
- Deni Avdija: OUT (Lower Back Strain)
- Robert Williams III: AVAILABLE (L Knee Injury Management)
- Scoot Henderson: OUT (L Hamstring Tear)
- Damian Lillard: OUT (L Achilles Tendon)
- Kris Murray: OUT (Lumbar Strain)
- Duop Reath: OUT (R Foot Soreness)
- Matisse Thybulle: OUT (R Knee Tendinopathy)
- Blake Wesley: OUT (R Foot Fracture)
Having eight players pop up on the injury report may suggest otherwise, but this Blazers team is quietly getting much healthier. That's contributed to a red-hot start to 2026 with a 9-3 record. Their play as of late has led Portland's front office to consider buying at the Feb. 5 trade deadline, as they could be just a piece away from returning to the postseason.
Portland sits at .500 (23-23) and is just 2.5 games back from the eight-seeded Golden State Warriors. With players getting healthier and their schedule finally lightening up, ending a four-year playoff drought is becoming increasingly more likely.
However, that light schedule doesn't apply to this matchup, as both teams have been playing some of their best basketball of the season as of late. Boston sits 2nd in the Eastern Conference and 5.5 games back of the Detroit Pistons, finding ways to win without superstar Jayson Tatum. He's the only one officially ruled out for the Celtics heading into his contest, with four players showing up on the injury report for Boston.
Boston Celtics injury report
Update: Luka Garza has been ruled out. Neemias Queta and Josh Minott are available.
Here is Boston's injury report:
- Luka Garza: OUT (Illness)
- Josh Minott: AVAILABLE (L Ankle Sprain)
- Neemias Queta: AVAILABLE (Illness)
- Jayson Tatum: OUT (R Achilles Repair)
This is the first half of a back-to-back for the Blazers. They continue their road trip in the nation's capital, taking on the Wizards on Tuesday (4 PM PST tip-off). That could factor into how the Blazers approach these questionable players. Robert Williams III sits out one of the back-to-back contests, so Portland will have to decide whether they want that to be against one of the best or worst teams in the East.
But of course, the headliner is Avdija. This could prove to be too talented a Celtics squad for the Blazers to steal a win on the road without their rising star. Hopefully that's not the case, so stay tuned for updates.