Xavier Tillman was downgraded to out ahead of the Celtics facing the Magic at 7 p.m. Friday in Orlando. Tillman is listed as out for personal reasons. Jayson Tatum also continues to be out with his Achilles rehab.
Tillman has been used in a backup big man role, playing in seven games thus far this season. But he hasn’t seen the court much recently, including not playing in the blowout Wizards victory Wednesday. It’s unclear how long he could be out due to the personal reasons.
While it was a mostly lost season for Tillman last year due to knee troubles, he looked healthier throughout this training camp and preseason. He showed more burst and athleticism when on the court, but he’s started slow in his limited minutes to open the regular season.
The Celtics and Magic meet for a pair of games in Orlando coming up Friday then Sunday. It’s an important series for both teams in what’s also a playoff rematch from last year’s first-round series.
The Magic have gotten off to just a 3-5 start this season as their main stars have struggled thus far. Big trade acquisition Desmond Bane is shooting just 28.6% on 3-pointers while Paolo Banchero’s efficiency has been inconsistent.
The Celtics got back on track after blowing out the Wizards, but they also enter Friday’s game with a 4-5 record. It’s clear the C’s don’t have as much margin of error with this revamped roster as they’ve also been up-and-down to start the year.
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