Celtics Rule Out Xavier Tillman For Upcoming Clash Vs. Magic
The Boston Celtics responded to a pair of tough losses by blowing out the Washington Wizards on Wednesday night, with the final score settling in at 136-107. The team will look to carry over the positive momentum from this win when they take on the Orlando Magic on Friday night.
Through nine games, it’s clear that the Celtics are figuring things out still. Head coach Joe Mazzulla is tinkering with his rotation on a nightly basis as he continues to try to figure out how to get the most out of his team.
One guy whose role is still a bit unknown is Xavier Tillman. In his third season with Boston, Tillman has taken the floor for seven of the team’s first nine games, averaging 2.9 points and 2.4 rebounds per game while shooting 50% from the field.
Tillman is a sturdy defender, but he isn’t exactly a huge contributor on offense, which has resulted in him having a fairly limited role to this point. On Friday night, though, the C’s will have to find a way to get by without Tillman, as he’s been ruled out for this game due to personal reasons.
First and foremost, the hope is that whatever Tillman is dealing with off the court is not serious and that he will be back in action sooner rather than later. In his absence, that means Neemias Queta, Luka Garza and Chris Boucher will likely see more minutes against the Magic.
Boston’s next game will be its second NBA Cup game, as it squeaked out a one-point win over the Philadelphia 76ers in its first such contest last week. Tip-off for this Friday night affair is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET.