Boston Celtics shorthanded for Miami Heat game; Jayson Tatum in protocol, followed by Bradley Beal of the Washington Wizards

BOSTON – The Boston Celtics could find themselves extremely shorthanded for their game against the Miami Heat at TD Garden on Sunday due to NBA health and safety protocols.

In the team’s latest injury report, released around 5:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, nine of the team’s 17 players were listed – seven of them due to positive COVID-19 tests or contact tracing as a result of those tests, including stars Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum.

The Washington Wizards, meanwhile, were without Bradley Beal for their home game against the Miami Heat on Saturday night due to health and safety protocols. He was placed there following contact tracing with Tatum, a source confirmed a report from The Athletic to ESPN.

The two St. Louis natives – who are close friends and share the same coach, Drew Hanlen – spent much of the game guarding each other and had a conversation on the pitch afterward.

Washington has already played three teams this week – the Brooklyn Nets, Philadelphia 76ers and Celtics – who have tested positive and multiple players in protocols.

In addition to the three Celtics who must have missed Friday’s victory over Washington – Robert Williams III, who tested positive, and Grant Williams and Tristan Thompson, who were absent due to contact tracing – four more have appeared in the Saturday report: Tatum, who has been listed as questionable; and Brown, Javonte Green and Semi Ojeleye, which were all questionable.

If those seven players – along with Romeo Langford (wrist) and Kemba Walker (knee), who remain injured – are all deemed unable to play in Sunday’s game, Boston would be reduced to the bare minimum of eight players available to face. Miami. Six of those players – Marcus Smart, Jeff Teague, Payton Pritchard, Carsen Edwards, Tremont Waters and Aaron Nesmith – are goaltenders, in addition to centers Daniel Theis and Tacko Fall.