
Jaylen Brown injury: Celtics star ‘looked great’ in first postseason practice
The Celtics’ entire roster took the court at the Auerbach Center on Tuesday for Boston’s first postseason practice, according to head coach Joe Mazzulla.
That included Jaylen Brown, whose injured knee is one of the top storylines as the Celtics prepare for their opening-round playoff series.
Mazzulla said Brown, who sat out the final three games of the regular season, practiced without limitations.
“Practice was good today,” Mazzulla said. “Guys were locked in. Guys were good.”
Brown has battled a lingering knee issue — specifically a bone bruise with a posterior impingement, per the Celtics — since before the All-Star break. He sat out two straight games in mid-February, then missed 10 of Boston’s 27 contests after the break, never playing in more than four consecutively.
Even when he was available, Brown spent the final month of the season on a minutes limit. The 2024 NBA Finals MVP has not logged more than 30 minutes since Boston’s home loss to Oklahoma City on March 12. He played just 22 minutes in each of his last two regular-season appearances and looked visibly hobbled in last Tuesday’s overtime loss to New York, during which he did not play after the third quarter.
After that game, Celtics center Kristaps Porzingis questioned Brown’s decision to play through pain rather than rest up for the playoffs, urging him to “make sure he does everything he needs to prepare, to get it healthy and to prepare for what’s going to come.”
On Sunday, Mazzulla confirmed a report from ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne that Brown received “pain management injections” in his injured right knee, calling it “part of the rehab process for him to get back to be his absolute best.” The coach said he was “100%” confident Brown would be ready for Game 1 of Boston’s first-round series, which is set for Sunday at TD Garden against either the Orlando Magic or Atlanta Hawks.
“Just take it one day at a time as he continues to get better and better,” Mazzulla said Tuesday.
Brown did not speak with reporters Tuesday, but multiple teammates said they were encouraged by how he looked in practice.
“He looked great today,” Al Horford said. “I was very happy to see him out there doing everything. It’s a really good sign for us. … Jaylen is very strong mentally. I feel like he finds a way. He’s the type where he’s out here, putting in the work and trying to get himself ready to go. He understands what’s in front of us. I know that, mentally, he’s going to be in a good place. I’m just excited to see him go from this point forward.”
Brown remained on the court for roughly 45 minutes after practice concluded, completing a variety of shooting drills with Celtics assistant coaches.
Jrue Holiday said the Celtics aren’t worried about Brown’s status.
“He looked good to me,” Holiday said. “I think JB is going to be JB in terms of not showing weakness. Everything is about not showing weakness and for him being able to breathe the strongest mentally and physically. Nobody is worried about him. We all know that he wants to be on the court every time we play, but we also know he’s going to be prepared.”
Brown acknowledged he might not be fully healed in time for the playoffs — the reason he played in several meaningless late-season games, he said, was to train his body to adapt to those potential limitations — but Holiday downplayed the notion that Boston’s other players will need to do more to support him.
“I think he’s fine,” the veteran guard said. “I’m pretty sure if ya’ll asked him, he’d be fine too. I think it’s whatever it takes to win. We’ve seen people step up throughout the whole year, I guess last two years. We’ll continue to do that. I guess supporting him is honestly, whatever he needs. If he needs a break — which, knowing JB, he probably won’t, and he probably won’t even accept it if he needs it — but whatever it is, we’ll be there for him.”