Kristaps Porzingis (right knee contusion) and Jaylen Brown (non-COVID illness) both missed their first game of the season in the Celtics’ rematch against the 76ers in Philadelphia on Wednesday night.

Both were initially ruled as questionable for the game. Brown was a late addition to the injury report on Wednesday morning.

Porzingis told reporters in Philadelphia at Wednesday’s morning shootaround that he suffered the injury when he banged knees with the Knicks’ Julius Randle during the Celtics’ win on Monday night. He went on to play the rest of the game. It limited him at Wednesday’s shootaround but he doesn’t believe the injury is serious.

As the Celtics begin a four-game road trip that includes a back-to-back on Sunday and Monday, it seems the team is being cautious with Porzingis. Though he played the healthiest season of his career last year, the big man has a lengthy injury history.

“The medical staff, they want to be smart about these things,” Porzingis told reporters in Philly. “You know, we have to play the long game and know not to force something now, that’s not maybe as necessary. It’s most important that towards the end of the season, that’s when we need to be on and healthy and that’s what they’re making sure of. So I’m just, you know, following the orders.”