Boston Celtics All-Star forward Jaylen Brown left Wednesday's game after taking an accidental elbow to the face from teammate Jayson Tatum. He was initially ruled out with a facial contusion. However, it appears the injury is much worse than just a bruise.
Brown suffered a facial fracture, according to The Athletic's Shams Charania. He is expected to miss some time and likely will be out past the All-Star break.
The injury occurred late in the first half. Tatum was beneath the basket and chasing down a rebound as Brown approached from the corner of the court. As Tatum reached out for the board, he caught Brown square in the face. Brown immediately hit the deck in pain.
Prior to leaving, Jaylen Brown was struggling offensively. He has just four points on 2-for-9 from the field. Tatum also did not have a banner night, scoring just 12 points. Yet, the Celtics still found a way to beat the division rival Sixers, 106-99.
But missing one half at home is one thing, but if Brown misses extended time going forward, that could hurt the Celtics chances at locking up home court advantage throughout the playoffs. After the win Wednesday, the Celtics are 39-16. That is one game ahead of the Denver Nuggets for the best record in the NBA. They are also just 1.5 games ahead of the Milwaukee Bucks in the Eastern Conference.
Brown was having a true breakout season, earning himself All-Star reserve honors. Sadly, he will very likely miss next weekend's festivities. The Celtics forward will see a specialist for further examination Thursday.
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