The Boston Celtics and Oklahoma City Thunder will go head-to-head on Wednesday night. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams have already been ruled out for the Thunder, but the Celtics are dealing with some injury trouble as well. Jaylen Brown is battling a left hand sprain heading into the affair.
The Celtics hold a commanding 12-game lead over the second place Milwaukee Bucks in the Eastern Conference. Boston is going to proceed with caution. They certainly will not mind giving Brown extra rest if necessary.
Brown missed Boston's most recent game against the Charlotte Hornets. The Celtics still earned a 118-104 victory over the underwhelming Hornets, though. The Thunder, even without Gilgeous-Alexander and Williams, will present a challenge.
So is Jaylen Brown playing tonight vs. the Thunder?
*Watch NBA games LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Jaylen Brown's injury status for Celtics-Thunder game
Brown was initially listed as questionable for Wednesday's contest due to his aforementioned left hand sprain, via the NBA Injury Report. Fortunately, the team upgraded his status to available prior to tip-off.
Brown has enjoyed another strong regular season. The 27-year-old is averaging 23.2 points per game on 50.2 percent field goal and 35.8 percent 3-point shooting. He is also recording 5.5 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.2 steals per outing.
Brown is approaching a career milestone as well. He has scored 9,960 points in his NBA career, leaving him just 40 points shy of 10,000. According to Tomek Kordylewski, Brown would become the 15th Celtics player to reach 10,000 career points.
Jaylen Brown is more than capable of scoring 40 points in one game. However, he should certainly reach the 10,000 point mark within the next couple of contests once he returns.
Brown's performance is especially impressive considering the fact that he plays on the same team with Jayson Tatum. Tatum is regarded as one of the best players in the NBA, yet Brown has still been able to record incredible numbers.
According to a recent ESPN MVP poll by Tim Bontemps, Tatum and Brown both finished within the top 10 of MVP voting. Tatum ultimately finished fifth, while Tatum was 10th.
It's quite the accomplishment for a team to have two players who can draw MVP consideration. The Celtics duo is unquestionably one of the best in the entire NBA. Both stars have played crucial roles for the Celtics all season long, and Boston has the best record in the league as a result.
In reference to Boston's game on Wednesday, though, it will be an especially important game for the Thunder. Oklahoma City is fighting for the top spot in the Western Conference with the Denver Nuggets and Minnesota Timberwolves. The Thunder trail the Nuggets by just a half-game heading into Wednesday's affair.
Finding a way to defeat the talented Celtics will prove to be a challenge for the Thunder without Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams, though.
But when it comes to the question of if Jaylen Brown is playing vs. the Thunder tonight, the answer is YES.
Follow Us
Subscribe