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Jaylen Brown's back injury isn't getting much better, but the Boston Celtics wing seems intent on trying to help his team down the stretch of the regular season regardless. Despite not playing in Wednesday's game against the Miami Heat, Brown is hopeful he'll be able to take the floor for Friday's crucial matchup with the Indiana Pacers.
Jaylen Brown says he’s still in a good deal of pain. He’s having trouble turning his torso and visibly struggled to sit down in the locker room. But he said he still hopes to play Friday.
— Adam Himmelsbach (@AdamHimmelsbach) April 3, 2019
Brown played in the Celtics' loss to the Brooklyn Nets on Saturday without incident, but missed the first leg of their home and home with the Heat two days later while suffering from back spasms. Unfortunately for he and his team, Brown's injury sounds more serious than his stated ambitions of playing in 48 hours suggest.
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“I’ve never experienced it [like this] where it’s hard to bend down, it’s hard to stand up, or put your socks on,” he said on Wednesday, per Adam Himmelsbach of the Boston Globe. “I’m uncomfortable just sitting down right now. It’s like my back feels like it’s just like squeezing together. It’s hard to reach over, hard to move to the left, move to the right. It’s like a sharp pain, plus the tightness.”
Brown's injury comes at a bad time for Boston, which is deadlocked with Indiana at 46-32 for fourth place in the Eastern Conference. The teams' Friday matchup in Indianapolis marks a chance for the Celtics to win the season series with the Pacers outright, earning a crucial tie-breaker.
Brown, averaging 13.0 points and 4.3 rebounds per game off the bench, has been a bright spot over the past few months for Boston after a rough start to his third NBA season.
