The Boston Celtics have started their title defense with two back-to-back dominant wins. Following their opening-day victory against the Knicks, they swept the Washington Wizards 122-102. The two players who have impressed the most are Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. Both are playing with a chip on their shoulder after the Paris Olympics controversy (Tatum wasn’t given enough time, while Brown wasn’t selected).

Currently, Tatum and Brown are fit and ready to compete against the Detroit Pistons tonight. They were in great form against the Wizards, with Brown scoring 27 points, 8 rebounds, and 3 assists, whereas Tatum scored 25 points, 11 rebounds, and 6 assists. We can hope to see a similar performance tonight as well.

Jayson Tatum also has his eye on the MVP title. In the post-game interview, he said, “Saying I want the MVP is important to me is not in a way like taking away from the success of our team.” Tatum has expressed that he wants to win the MVP, but that doesn’t come at the expense of his team’s success.

The defending champs are in fantastic form but, on the other hand, their opponents have started the season on the wrong foot with two defeats in two games. The Pistons will be looking to bounce back but it won’t be an easy task for them. Tatum and Brown are set to play in this contest but let’s find out which players will miss tonight’s game.

Boston Celtics injury report

Two players are on the injury list for the Celtics. First is Kristaps Porzingis who is out due to a foot injury but has gone through surgery successfully. He is on the path to recovery and is making good progress from the injury he sustained in June. At media day, Porzingis said that “the expectation is (to return) sometime in December,” adding he hopes that he can return sooner.

The second player on the injury list is Sam Hauser who did not play against the Wizards due to lower back pain. The 26-year-old is also out for the Pistons game tonight. “It’s a day-to-day thing,” said Boston’s HC Joe Mazzulla, per CLNS Media. “He’s getting better, working at it every day, and we’ll see how he progresses.” indicating that he can make a return soon.

Predicted lineup against the Pistons

The Celtics have used the same starting five in both games and since there are no injuries to the starters, they should line up similarly to the last game.

PG– Jrue Holiday, SG– Derrick White, SF– Jayson Tatum, PF– Jaylen Brown, C– Al Horford

They have been in great form and we expect to see a similar performance today against a Pistons side that is coming off back-to-back defeats. The Celtics should have the upper hand going into this game.