The Boston Celtics, sitting at 49-24, are heading to Charlotte tonight to take on the Hornets, who hold a 39-35 record in the Eastern Conference. It is a matchup where Boston comes in as the stronger side on paper. But before fans can think about that, there is one question that everyone seems to be asking. It is whether Jaylen Brown will play or not in this game.
Will Jaylen Brown Play Against the Hornets on Sunday?
According to the latest injury report from ESPN, Brown is officially listed as questionable for Sunday’s game due to left Achilles tendinitis. This issue already forced him to miss Friday’s game against the Atlanta Hawks.
What makes this a bit more concerning is that this is a new kind of injury for Brown. He has had hamstring issues in the past, which is what usually keeps him off the court. He has also dealt with discomfort in his left wrist from time to time.
But an Achilles problem is something we have not really seen from him before. Before this injury occurred, Brown was averaging 28.6 points, 7 rebounds, and 5.2 assists per game. He has been a big reason why this Celtics team has been able to stay competitive, so losing him hurts.
Brown is not the only name on the injury report, though. Jayson Tatum is also listed as questionable. He is dealing with Achilles repair management as he continues to ease back into things after his return from injury.
Tatum had a rough start in the last game, which was against the Hawks. He missed several layups early on, scoring just 5 points in the first half on 2-of-11 shooting. He is still finding his rhythm, and it shows.
Other players listed on the injury report include:
- Derrick White: Questionable (right knee contusion)
- Neemias Queta: Questionable (right thumb sprain)
- Nikola Vucevic: Out (right ring finger fracture)
If Brown and Tatum both sit out tonight, Boston will need others to step up in a big way. Payton Pritchard, who has been averaging 16.9 points per game, will likely have to shoulder more of the offensive load.
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On the other side, the Hornets are no pushover at home. Miles Bridges and Kon Knueppel have been consistent contributors for Charlotte.
They are averaging 17.1 and 19.0 points per game, respectively. If Boston shows up shorthanded, those two will be looking to make it a long night for the Celtics.
