With nine players eliminated, the Boston Celtics will have at least eight players for the game against Miami Heat

BOSTON – The Boston Celtics will have the minimum of eight players available for Sunday night’s game against the Miami Heat after announcing that nine players are absent – including seven due to NBA health and safety protocols for the COVID pandemic – 19.

While Kemba Walker (knee) and Romeo Langford (wrist) are injured, the other seven players who will be seated on Sunday – goalkeepers Javonte Green and Jaylen Brown, forwards Jayson Tatum, Semi Ojeleye and Grant Williams and centers Robert Williams III and Tristan Thompson – All came out on Sunday, and likely for some time beyond, due to league protocols.

That will leave Boston with just those eight players – guards Marcus Smart, Jeff Teague, Payton Pritchard, Carsen Edwards and Tremont Waters, swingman Aaron Nesmith and centers Daniel Theis and Tacko Fall – for Sunday’s game against the Heat, and possibly Tuesday’s game. in Chicago against the Bulls and Wednesday’s game in Boston against the Orlando Magic.

Robert Williams III, Grant Williams and Thompson all missed Friday’s game against the Washington Wizards after initially appearing on the injury report Thursday night, while Tatum, Brown, Ojeleye and Green appeared there on Saturday before being excluded Sunday.

The Celtics now find themselves in a similar position to the Philadelphia 76ers on Saturday afternoon, when they only had seven healthy players – with Mike Scott, who had become active but was not going to play – for their game against the Denver Nuggets.

Celtics coach Brad Stevens will struggle to put together a cohesive roster when his eight available players include five – Smart, Teague, Pritchard, Edwards and Waters – who are 6-foot-3 or less, as well as five of their own. first or second NBA season and the two two-way players on the team (Waters and Fall).

Miami, meanwhile, will miss guard Avery Bradley, who was also placed in health and safety protocol Sunday afternoon and was ruled out for Sunday night’s game.