Jaylen Brown could miss his first game of the season as the Celtics face the Wizards at 7 p.m. Thursday in Washington D.C. Brown is listed as doubtful on the injury report with an illness. Jayson Tatum remains out due to his Achilles rehab.
Brown has been excellent as he scored a season-high 42 points in the win over the Knicks on Tuesday. He’s played in all 21 games for the C’s this year even though he’s had some minor injuries like a hamstring strain or low back spasms. Brown is averaging a career-high 29.0 points per game so far as Boston’s top option.
Fortunately for the Celtics, no other rotation player is listed on the injury report. Derrick White (calf) and Neemias Queta (sprained ankle) have been banged up recently, but they’re good to go for Thursday’s game.
If Brown is unable to play against the Wizards, expect the other wings to step up and fill those minutes. That could be a mix of Jordan Walsh, Josh Minott, Hugo Gonzalez and Baylor Scheierman, all of whom have contributed thus far this season.
The Celtics are coming off another impressive victory in downing the Knicks. They’ve won seven of their last nine games to get to a 12-9 record. They next get the East-worst Wizards on the road, who are 3-17 on the season.