The Boston Celtics take a five-game winning streak into Houston Monday night, to face the Rockets led by former Celtics coach Ime Udoka in a game that will likely prove their most difficult test since falling to the Detroit Pistons on the season opener.
But the Celtics will face the Rockets shorthanded just 24 hours after defeating the Orlando Magic 108-97 in the first game of a stretch that sees Boston play 10 of 13 games on the road in just over three weeks. The Celtics made the announcement on Monday morning.
The team announced that Paul George is out Monday night at Houston, as the Boston Celtics rest the 36-year-old on the second night of a back-to-back.
Boston’s official injury report lists George as out for rest, and Devin Carter will miss the 8:30 p.m. ET tip at Toyota Center with an ongoing illness. The 5-1 Celtics visit a 6-1 Rockets team.
George’s absence is attributable to load management, not an injury. George played Sunday in the win at Orlando, and Boston faces multiple back-to-backs this month, including several road-road sets.
“I feel great. I think, knock on wood, those days are behind me,” George said, referring to his lengthy injury history, according to Celtics Wire. “I’ve been feeling really good health-wise. But the main goal is to get to the end of the year and be healthy at the end of the year, so whatever it is (in terms of) approach, I’m ready for. Whether it is playing back-to-backs, whether it’s being smart approaching back-to-backs, we’ll get to that when the time is there.”
George played both ends of that earlier back-to-back, logging 36 minutes in an overtime win over Brooklyn.
Paul George’s Boston Trade and Hall of Fame Resume
In early July, the Celtics traded Jaylen Brown to the Philadelphia 76ers for George and a package of draft picks, according to ESPN. The haul includes a conditional 2028 first-round pick from the Clippers, Philadelphia’s unprotected 2031 first-rounder and two second-round selections.
Brown, a five-time All-Star and 2024 Finals MVP, helped Boston win a championship. The deal became official after the league’s trade moratorium ended. George arrived as a 36-year-old nine-time All-Star coming off two injury-plagued, lower-scoring seasons in Philadelphia, which included a 25-game suspension for a drug-policy violation.
Born May 2, 1990, in Palmdale, California, the 6-foot-8 forward played at Fresno State before the Indiana Pacers drafted him 10th overall in 2010. He later played for the Oklahoma City Thunder, Los Angeles Clippers and Philadelphia.
George is a six-time All-NBA selection, four-time All-Defense honoree, 2013 Most Improved Player and 2016 Olympic gold medalist. He led the league in steals in 2019, when he averaged 28.0 points for Oklahoma City, earned first-team All-NBA honors and finished third in MVP voting.
He averages 20.5 points, 6.2 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.7 steals over 951 games, and he has passed Terry Cummings, moving to about 60th on the all-time scoring list with 19,462 points.
Paul George’s Season and Boston Celtics Outlook vs. Rockets
George holds a Hall of Fame probability of roughly 98%, which ranks among the top active players. He has never reached the NBA Finals or won a championship. Former NBA guard Gilbert Arenas has called him a first-ballot Hall of Famer.
Through six games, George averages 20.7 points, 6.0 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 2.3 steals in about 31 minutes per night. He shoots 46.3% from the field and 38.8% from three, making roughly 3.2 per game.
He opened his Celtics tenure with a franchise-record 38 points, hitting 7 of 12 from three-point range with five steals, in a loss to Detroit. Boston has since won five straight.
Boston plays the second night of a back-to-back on the road without George, and Carter is out with illness. Houston is at home, though Steven Adams is out and Capela and Sheppard are questionable.
Celtics Make Paul George Decision Ahead of Houston Rockets Game