Celtics' Xavier Tillman: Sees 15 minutes of run in win
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Tillman delivered eight points (3-4 FG, 2-3 3Pt), one rebound and one assist across 15 minutes in Thursday's 122-102 win at Washington.
Expect Tillman, Luke Kornet and Neemias Queta to receive significant minutes when the Celtics face struggling opponents such as the Wizards. Kristaps Porzingis is out until at least early December and 38-year-old Al Horford needs to pace himself to be ready for the playoffs. That said, none of the three Boston big men reserves will ever produce gaudy stats. The Celtics are very deep and don't need reserve centers to produce on the offensive end.
President of basketball operations Brad Stevens said Tuesday that Tillman had a knee scope during the offseason, but he will be a full go for training camp, Jared Weiss of The Athletic reports.
Stevens did not specify which knee it was, but the good news is that the issue is apparently behind Tillman. With Kristaps Porzingis (foot) sidelined to begin the season, Tillman will have an opportunity to earn some rotation minutes early on. In 20 regular-season games in 2023-24, Tillman averaged 4.0 points, 2.7 rebounds and 1.0 assists in 13.7 minutes.
Celtics' Xavier Tillman: Intends to reunite with Boston
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Tillman agreed to a two-year deal with the Celtics on Tuesday, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reports.
Tillman stepped up in Kristaps Porzingis' (foot) absence throughout the 2023-24 NBA Playoffs, and the former will return to the club as it aims to repeat the success from last year. The Celtics acquired Tillman via trade with the Grizzlies on Feb. 7, and he went on to average 4.0 points, 2.7 rebounds and 1.0 assists across 13.7 minutes in 20 regular-season appearances with Boston.
Celtics' Xavier Tillman: Plays 11 minutes in Game 3 win
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Tillman closed with three points (1-1 FG, 1-1 3Pt), four rebounds and two blocks in 11 minutes during Wednesday's 106-99 win over Dallas in Game 3 of the NBA Finals.
It was Tillman, not Luke Kornet, who picked up the slack at center due to Kristaps Porzingis (ankle) being out. Coach Joe Mazzulla clearly preferred Tillman switching on Mavericks star Luka Doncic on pick-and-rolls, and the move paid off. Tillman got multiple stops when forced to guard Doncic. Tillman also hit a clutch corner three during a key second-half Boston scoring run. His four boards and two blocks were just what the Celtics needed while managing 38-year-old Al Horford's workload. Tillman and his teammates will look to finish the Finals in Dallas on Friday.
Tillman (personal) is available for Thursday's Game 2 against the Pacers, Justin Turpin of WEEI.com reports.
The reserve big has seen limited action throughout the playoffs, appearing in just three games -- one against Miami and two against Cleveland. With Kristaps Porzingis (calf) expected to be sidelined until at least Game 4, Al Horford has been seeing extended minutes. It's possible Tillman will be thrown into action in hopes of giving Horford some more rest time.
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Celtics' Xavier Tillman: Questionable for Game 2
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Tillman (personal) is questionable for Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Pacers on Thursday, Taylor Snow of the Celtics' official site reports.
Tillman missed the Celtics' 133-128 overtime win in Game 1 due to the personal matter. While he could rejoin the Celtics in advance of Thursday's contest, his presence -- or lack thereof -- shouldn't have a major impact on head coach Joe Mazzulla's rotation. Tillman has appeared in just three games all postseason -- all in blowouts -- as Al Horford and Luke Kornet have covered most of the minutes at center while Kristaps Porzingis (calf) has been sidelined for each of the Celtics' last seven contests.
Celtics' Xavier Tillman: Won't be available for Game 1
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Tillman (personal) has been ruled out for Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Pacers on Tuesday.
Tillman will join Kristaps Porzingis (calf) as unavailable, but the former's absence shouldn't impact Boston's rotation, as he's appeared in just three of Boston's first 10 postseason contests. Al Horford and Luke Kornet should continue to handle all meaningful minutes at center in Game 1.
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Celtics' Xavier Tillman: Questionable for Game 1
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Tillman is questionable for Tuesday's Game 1 against the Pacers due to personal reasons, Taylor Snow of the Celtics' official site reports.
Tillman hasn't been a consistent part of the rotation during the playoffs, appearing in just three matchups and averaging 1.3 points and 2.0 rebounds in 8.3 minutes per game. While it's unclear whether he'll be available to begin the Eastern Conference Finals, his status shouldn't significantly impact the rotation.
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Celtics' Xavier Tillman: Moves back to bench role
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Tillman is not in the starting lineup for Thursday's game against the Knicks.
As expected, Tillman returns to the bench with Kristaps Porzingis (hamstring) in the starting unit. Tillman has averaged 4.6 points and 3.5 rebounds across 15.9 minutes per game when playing off the bench this season.
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Celtics' Xavier Tillman: Questionable for Thursday
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Tillman is questionable for Thursday's game against the Knicks due to right knee tendon irritation, Justin Turpin of WEEI.com reports.
Tillman is being listed as questionable for the first game of a back-to-back set, along with Al Horford (toe) and Kristaps Porzingis (hamstring), so the Celtics could be very thin up front Thursday night. If all these guys are out, Luke Kornet and Oshae Brissett could be forced into major minutes. Check back for another update on Tillman following Thursday's shootaround.
