BOSTON — Jaylen Brown did not practice again Thursday and the Celtics have confirmed that the third-year swingman will miss his second consecutive game Friday due to a back bruise when they host the Cleveland Cavaliers. Al Horford will also miss the game due to rest.
That likely means another start for Marcus Smart, who was wearing a green first-unit jersey at the end of the off-day workout on Thursday. Smart gave Boston’s starting group a jolt of energy in the confidence-inspiring win Monday night in New Orleans, logging 40 minutes as Stevens seemed to send a message to the team about prioritizing hustle and grit.
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While Stevens has said he will continue to explore lineup options, it seems likely that the Celtics will stick with Smart and Marcus Morris in the starting group after the strong showing on Monday.
Morris has said he’ll accept any role asked of him, but liked the energy of the first group in New Orleans and believes the team will stick with it.
"We’re going to keep -- well, I’m not going to say it like I’m the coach, but we’re going to keep, I’m guessing, that unit to see how it goes.
Added Morris: "We’ve been struggling to get off to great starts so my main thing is start with some aggressiveness just to show them it’s gonna be a tough game. Early on, we’ve just been at times soft, so just trying to up that tempo, up that pace, up the demeanor in the first unit.”
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