After a slip-up against the Indiana Pacers, the Boston Celtics are rolling again. A two-game sweep of the Charlotte Hornets was followed by a 30-point blowout of the Indiana Pacers, and now, the Celtics are heading home to TD Garden for a date with the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday. But they might be without Jaylen Brown.
Brown has missed two straight games due to a left hip flexor strain. Playing without one of their top two stars is no easy feat for the Celtics, but their depth should allow them to hold the tide well as Brown recovers from the issue.
And Joe Mazzulla doesn’t seem concerned about the significance of the injury.
The Celtics don't seem worried about Jaylen Brown injury
During his weekly appearance on 98.5 The Sports Hub’s Zolak & Bertrand, Mazzulla said that neither he nor Brown are too worried about the injury. (H/t Bobby Krivitsky of SI Media Group)
"Day-to-day,” Mazzulla said. “It's a strain...I'm not concerned, and I don't think he is either."
Brown appeared in each of the Celtics’ first six games prior to his injury. He was playing 36.0 minutes per contest, averaging 25.7 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 3.8 assists while shooting 40.0% from the floor and 26.7% from beyond the three-point line.
The Celtics star told Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe that he had an MRI on his hip over the summer and would have a second one in the coming days.
“I got an MRI in training camp and it’s been back and forth since then,” Brown said. “ I think I extended it a little more, and it’s already been giving me some trouble. I’m going to have to get another MRI and go from there.”
He’s not the only player to have popped up on the team’s injury report this year, either.
Obviously, Kristaps Porzingis is the most notable name on the list, apart from Brown. He’s still recovering from offseason surgery to repair a rare foot injury he sustained in the NBA Finals.
Sam Hauser has also been a frequent flier on the injury report, as he’s been dealing with back issues since the summer. Like Brown, he has been and likely will continue to be, listed as day-to-day.
Al Horford’s name has been flashed due to load management, but he’s been healthy this year.
Until Brown gets back, guys like Jayson Tatum, Derrick White, and Payton Pritchard will have to amp up their scoring (and they did that against Atlanta).