Celtics’ Jaylen Brown out vs. Pistons with Back Injury; Jayson Tatum to Play

zach bacharContributor IDecember 28, 2023

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The Boston Celtics will be without Jaylen Brown for the team’s matchup with the Detroit Pistons on Thursday, according to ESPN’s Tim Bontemps.

Jayson Tatum will play, however. Brown suffered a back contusion during Boston’s victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Christmas Day, colliding with LeBron James and briefly leaving the game. He was able to return to the floor before the contest was over.

This will be Brown’s second missed game of the season.

Both of the team’s All-Stars were originally listed as questionable on Wednesday. Tatum appeared on Boston’s injury report due to “left ankle sprain management,” as the 25-year-old missed the Celtics’ clash with the Sacramento Kings on Dec. 20 after sustaining the sprain against the Golden State Warriors during the previous night. He has not missed a game since then.

Tatum and Brown have remained one of the NBA’s deadliest duos throughout the early portion of the 2023-24 season, leading Boston to the best record in the Eastern Conference at 23-6. Tatum is averaging 26.9 points and 8.5 rebounds per game, shooting 47.7 percent from the field and 34.7 percent from three.

Brown is recording 22.6 points and 3.6 assists per game, connecting on 47.8 percent of his shots. The two stars have also been surrounded by an exceptional supporting cast that includes Kristaps Porzingis, Derrick White and Jrue Holiday.

With Brown out, backup wing Sam Hauser will likely be given a larger role. Hauser has typically operated as a floor-spacer for Boston, hitting 41.6 percent of his 5.7 three-point attempts per game this season.

The Celtics will look to mitigate the loss of Brown and defeat a Pistons team that is riding a 27-game losing streak, the highest single-season mark in NBA history. With a loss against Boston, Detroit would tie the record for total losses in a row, which was set by the Philadelphia 76ers at the end of the 2014-15 season and the start of the 2015-16 campaign.