When asked by ESPN if their teams are fully vaccinated, both the Boston Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers refused to comment, opening the possibility that both teams could potentially be missing players in road games of a first-round playoff series against the Toronto Raptors.

The Miami Heat, Milwaukee Bucks, Celtics, and 76ers are all within one loss of each other at the top of the Eastern Conference standings as of Wednesday, meaning they may finish in any order between now and April 10, the end of the regular season, according to NBC Sports.

As a result, any of them might be expected to fly to Toronto for a first-round playoff matchup against the Raptors.

To qualify as a traveler and be allowed to enter Canada, a player must be fully vaccinated - either a single shot of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine or two-dose vaccines.

The Heat and Bucks confirmed to ESPN that their teams are completely vaccinated, so they would have no issues playing in Toronto.

Celtics' Tatum and Brown Sees Vaccination as Personal Choice

The Celtics played their first game in Toronto on Monday since the vaccination requirement went into effect, and they lost in overtime.

After beating the Minnesota Timberwolves at home on Sunday, Boston ruled out four players for Monday's game in Toronto, the second night of a back-to-back: Robert Williams, Jayson Tatum, and Jaylen Brown due to injuries, and Al Horford due to personal reasons.

Tatum stated on Celtics media day that he was vaccinated, but added that no one should be judged for choosing otherwise, "whatever their decision is."

"It's your own personal health and your reason," said the small forward. Tatum fully understands both the concerns of those who are not vaccinated that refuses to and those who are.

Brown at that time said that though he has his own thoughts about vaccination, he respects his teammates' decisions.

Last October, Brown, and Horford both underwent health and safety standards of the NBA, with Horford doing so again in December.

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Playoff Games in Toronto

Meanwhile, Philadelphia has not yet played in Toronto since the new regulation took effect.

The 76ers, who first played the Raptors in Toronto on December 28, will face them again for the second time on April 7 to wrap off a three-game road trip

Entering play Wednesday, the Celtics (47-29) are third in the East, a half-game behind the Bucks in second (47-28). The 76ers occupy the fourth spot at 46-29 while the Raptors (43-32), sit in sixth.

The playoffs will begin on April 16 and 17, with Games 3 and 4 of the first round, taking take place in Toronto, likely to be played beginning three weeks from Wednesday.

The most prominent example of a player missing games due to being unvaccinated is Brooklyn Nets star Kyrie Irving, who was unable to play games in Barclays Center or Madison Square Garden in New York, before the city changed its vaccine restrictions last week, allowing unvaccinated athletes to compete in home games.

However, there have been no such limitations in Boston or Philadelphia, which make the vaccination status a non-issue.

With the playoffs approaching and bringing with them a potential showdown with the Raptors in the first round, that is no longer the case.

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This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Jess Smith

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