The Boston Celtics star Jaylen Brown has picked up an abductor strain, forcing him to sit out of his team’s 109-98 win over the Brooklyn Nets at the Barclays Center on Thursday night. According to Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla, Brown is expected to be sidelined for a week or two.
“I anticipate it being pretty short,” Mazzulla said of Brown’s recovery timetable ahead of the Nets game. “I’m not sure what the timeline is. I know he tried to give it a go today and wasn’t able to do it. We’ll know more the next couple days, see how he responds.”
The 26-year-old player has been a strong performer for the Celtics this season, averaging career highs in both points (27.2 per game) and field goal percentage (49.8%). Teammate Jayson Tatum admitted that Brown’s absence will be a significant blow to the team and that everyone will have to up their game as they await his return.
On Thursday, Brown had come fourth for a second consecutive week in voting for backcourt spots for the Eastern Conference for the upcoming All-Star game in Salt Lake City next month.
By defeating the Nets, the Celtics extend their lead at the top of the Eastern Conference rankings. Boston continues to hold the best record in the NBA this season.
