BOSTON – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – The Boston Celtics will try to avoid losing back-to-back games at home for the first time this season when they face the visiting Phoenix Suns tonight. After going unbeaten during a six-game road trip, Boston suffered a 124-103 home loss to Miami on Wednesday. Boston (56-20) has lost back-to-back games twice this season, but the first loss came on the road on both occasions.
The Celtics have a 32-7 record on the road, but are 24-13 at home.
“We were on the road for 10, 12 days,” Jaylen Brown said. “Not an excuse or anything, but those first games back — that’s always a tough one just from a calibration standpoint. We’ve been in three, four different time zones, three different time zones. You’ve been away from home. You just get home and kind of get settled, and then you have to play a basketball game.
“It’s not an excuse. Of course we don’t make excuses. But first game back off a long road trip is always tough.”
Brown, who has been playing with a bone bruise in his right knee, scored a team-high 24 points in the loss to Miami. Following the game, Brown said he was playing through some pain.
“I’ve had to come to grips that every night I’m not going to feel my normal self, but that doesn’t mean I still can’t make plays and things like that,” he said. “So it’s just something that we are working through. (Wednesday) was a good step forward. I got some stuff lined up with the medical staff in order to be and feel better come playoffs. But as for now, just mentally working through not feeling great, but still able to find ways to be effective.”
Brown is listed as questionable for Friday’s game.
Boston’s Jrue Holiday (shoulder), Al Horford (toe) and Kristaps Porzingis (return from illness reconditioning) weren’t available to play in Wednesday’s loss. None were listed on Thursday’s injury report.
Phoenix (35-41) enters Friday’s matchup on a four-game losing streak. The Suns are 11th in the Western Conference standings — one game behind Sacramento — and need to move up one spot to qualify for the play-in tournament.
The Suns also need to get healthy. Kevin Durant is nursing a sprained ankle and isn’t expected back in the lineup until Tuesday’s home game against Golden State at the earliest. Durant is averaging 26.6 points, 6.0 rebounds and 4.2 assists in 62 games this season.
Bradley Beal has also missed the last eight games with a left hamstring strain. Beal has played in 48 games this season and is averaging 17.3 points per contest.
“We still can make a run,” Beal said. “Obviously we’ve got to be healthy, get healthy, be available. The playoffs, anything can happen, man, but we’re a talented team and believe in what we can do. We’ve just got to give ourselves that opportunity.”
Beal didn’t play when Boston earned a 132-102 victory at Phoenix on March 26. Jayson Tatum didn’t suit up for Boston because of a sprained ankle. Tatum is fifth in the NBA in scoring (27.0 ppg).
Porzingis (30) was Boston’s leading scorer in the win. Phoenix received a team-high 30 points from Durant.
–Field Level Media