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Celtics star Jaylen Brown will miss significant time due to a facial fracture he suffered during Boston’s 106-99 win over the 76ers on Wednesday
Jaylen Brown exited the game against Philadelphia after taking an accidental elbow to the face from teammate Jayson Tatum late in the second quarter.
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Jaylen Brown to miss time
Brown collided with Tatum as the two went for a rebound and subsequently collapsed to the floor, grabbing his face.
Brown went straight to the locker room after the hit, and the Celtics later declared him out for the rest of the game with a facial contusion. The initial feeling is he could be sidelined through the All-Star break, with further specialist examination on Thursday.
What Brown’s absence means for Celtics
If Brown does sit through the All-Star break, he will miss four games. The Celtics will also likely be without Marcus Smart, who missed his eighth consecutive game Wednesday with a sprained right ankle.
Al Horford and Robert Williams are also banged up, leaving Boston with a number of injured starters. Even if the two big men can return in time for the next game, Joe Mazzulla’s team will be shorthanded over the next couple of weeks.
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Their offense has suffered since Smart’s injury and could take a further dive without Brown, but the Celtics are fortunate to have solid depth.
They could turn more toward Sam Hauser, who has broken out of an extended slump by making nine of his last 13 3-point attempts over the last two games, or Payton Pritchard, who has often received more playing time when the Celtics deal with injuries.
Depending on what happens prior to Thursday’s trade deadline, the Celtics could have additional reinforcements arriving to help out.
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