Is Jaylen Brown Playing Tonight Vs Thunder? Celtics Injury Report Ahead Of East-West Blockbuster

TD Garden is going to witness a phenomenal matchup tonight. The Boston Celtics will be taking on the Oklahoma City Thunder at 7:30 PM ET. It will be Boston’s first home game after a six-game road trip in which they are 4-2. The C’s hold the best record of the season at 59-16 at the top position. But the OKC is by no means an easy opponent. They continue to fight for the top seed with Denver and Minnesota while sitting 3rd with a 52-23 record.

And that happened only because the Joel Embiid-led 76ers gave them a run for their money. So there is no doubt they will be looking to win and go back on top. Provided, of course, the Wolves lose to the Raptors in a highly unlikely scenario. As the Thunder make their trip to “Beantown,” the Celts could be missing one of their superstars.

Jaylen Brown is on the injury report with a sprained left hand and is listed as ‘Questionable’. He hadn’t suited up for the team’s 118-104 win over the Hornets. In the Pelicans game, Brown had been seen at various intervals dealing with difficulties. A knee at one point, flexing of his hand at another, and after the game, JB mentioned that his back has been giving him trouble. Despite it all, the 3x All-Star played through his injuries. Post-game, he mentioned he would check his hand out in Boston. Clearly, it was a good thing. However, he isn’t the only name in doubt.

Aside from Jaylen Brown, Jaden Springer is also on the injury list as ‘Questionable’. He is dealing with a left knee tendinopathy. After missing the two games before the Hornets one, they initially labeled Springer as available for the Charlotte matchup. But ultimately, he sat out. If he is sidelined for tonight too, it will be his 4th consecutive missed game. Svi Mykhailiuk and Oshae Brissett are the likely candidates to take his place as end-of-rotation options.

Jaylen Brown Stats

The 27-year-old forward guard is averaging 23.2 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 3.6 assists per game. When JB is on the floor, the Celtics are 50-16. But let’s focus on his three-point percentages. He isn’t regarded as the best three-point shooter, an attribute the Warriors hoped to exploit, but got slammed back in their face with a 52-point blowout scoreline. His best numbers in threes were in the 2019-20 (38.2%) and 2020-21 (39.7%) seasons.

But throughout the 2023-24 season, there’s been a marked improvement in his shots from beyond the arc. For example, his three-point percentage in the first 10 games of the season was 36.4 and the last 10 was 38.1. Clearly, Jaylen Brown’s been trying to better his skills. But it doesn’t take away the fact that when he’s on the floor, the whole team fares better. Hopefully, his injury isn’t too serious.

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