We'll likely see a lot of small ball lineups from the Celtics on Friday night

BOSTON -- We are likely going to see a lot of small ball from the Celtics on Friday night. Boston will be lacking some serious size when the Orlando Magic invade TD Garden, with three Celtics big men potentially missing the contest. 

With the Celtics on the second leg of a back-to-back following Thursday night's win over the Cavaliers, Al Horford will get the night off Friday. That was to be expected, as the Celtics haven't played Horford in back-to-back nights over the last two seasons in an effort to manage the 37-year-old's minutes.

But Luke Kornet has also been ruled out for a second straight game with an adductor strain, and Kristaps Portzingis is listed as "doubtful" for Friday's tilt with a calf injury. (And while he's not a big man, Jaylen Brown is also questionable with right knee hypertension.)

With Horford and Kornet both out and Porzingis potentially joining them, it will really test Boston's depth against Orlando. The Magic won't have Wendell Carter Jr., who remains out with a left hand fracture, but Orlando still has a lot of size and skill in its frontcourt. Paolo Banchero has been a force in his second NBA season and can create easy mismatches with his size. Center Goga Bitdaze has been a solid fill-in for Carter Jr. in Orlando's starting five, and Mortiz Wagner has also put in some big numbers off the bench for the Magic. 

With the Celtics short on size Friday night, expect the Magic to get really aggressive and attack the rim whenever possible.

So who will the Celtics turn to down low on Friday? Boston will likely look to two-way center Neemias Queta to make his first career start. He was inactive the last three games, but gave the Celtics some decent minutes in the three games that he's played in this season. Plus, he's the only true center on the roster if Porzingis is out.

But as inexperienced big men tend to do, Queta can rack up the fouls pretty quickly. That would not be ideal for Boston on Friday night.

We will likely see stretches with Jayson Tatum playing some small-ball five, and he's a capable rim defender thanks to his versatility. But you don't want your star player bumping around with bigger bodies too much, so that isn't something the Celtics can do for extended periods of time. 

Reserves Oshae Brissett and Lamar Stevens could also play some center in small lineups, and rookie Jordan Walsh could find his way into an NBA game for the first time of his career.

Whatever lineups Joe Mazzulla turns to on Friday, expect a lot of switching as the Celtics look to confuse and rattle a young Magic team. But Orlando has won four straight over Boston going back to last season, including the team's worst loss of this season -- a 113-96 loss in Florida last month.

The Celtics are the only team left in the NBA to remain unbeaten at home this season. They're going to have to get really creative and hope some of their reserves can play bigger than they are if they want to keep that going Friday night.