Concern spread rapidly through TD Garden when the home crowd saw Jaylen Brown reaching for his right hamstring in the first frame of their preseason finale against the Toronto Raptors.
The Boston Celtics star departed for the locker room and did not return, sparking questions about his availability for opening night against the Philadelphia 76ers.
The first signal of what his status might be for Wednesday's tilt on the parquet on Causeway Street was Joe Mazzulla sharing on Friday, two days after Boston's 110-108 victory vs. the Raptors, that the 2024 NBA Finals MVP "was able to do everything but the live stuff."
Monday, two days before the Celtics take on the Sixers in a rivalry clash on opening night, Brown gave an update of his own.
Jaylen Brown is trending towards playing vs. the 76ers
The four-time All-Star's hamstring injury abruptly ended his appearance in Boston's last exhibition contest after only seven minutes of floor time. However, while concern raged on the outside, the Celtics' star wing said he didn't share that worry as he and the training staff assessed the situation.
"Maybe a little tweak, but nothing crazy," Brown said about it on Monday at the Auerbach Center. And as Boston prepares for opening night, Mazzulla conveyed that the former All-NBA Second Team selection "went through practice today. We'll just continue to see how he progresses. He was able to go today."
Given the fluidity of the situation, when asked about his status for Wednesday's game against the 76ers, Brown responded, "We'll see. We'll take it one day at a time, but as of now, I feel great."
While his status is in question but trending in a positive direction, Sixers head coach Nick Nurse recently shared that Philadelphia does not expect to have Paul George in the lineup on opening night.
As George continues his ramp up from a knee injury that appears like it will sideline him Wednesday at TD Garden, Joel Embiid, also working his way back from a knee injury, is likely to suit up.
Veteran NBA insider Chris Haynes recently reported on NBATV, "it does look good" for Embiid being available opening night against the Celtics.
While the 76ers' star center will pose problems for Boston's big men and create second-chance opportunities for the visitors, he also figures to have trouble keeping up with the hosts shifting gears to operate at a faster tempo this season.
It will be interesting to see whether his presence proves a net positive or negative against a faster and more aggressive Celtics squad.