The Boston Celtics will likely be without Jaylen Brown Thursday night as they take on the Memphis Grizzlies. Brown suffered a right ankle sprain in Tuesday night’s win over the Atlanta Hawks, and coach Ime Udoka says he is “unlikely” to play Thursday.
“We’re going to be smart at this point of the season regardless,” Udoka said. “It’s a matter of swelling and pain tolerance at some point. The fact that it’s not Grade 2, 3 tear or whatever where ligaments have been torn obviously bodes well for him.”
Udoka said Tuesday that the injury should not be anything long-term. A three-day rest will be key for both Brown and the Celtics, as following Thursday’s tilt their next matchup will be Sunday vs. the Brooklyn Nets.
“It’s a little bit different than a muscular injury where you have to kind of take your time on that,” said Udoka. “It’s really about pain tolerance and getting the swelling out and flexibility back in.”
Both Memphis and Boston have been surging as of late. The Celtics have won three out of their last four, as well as 11 out of their last 14 — that streak includes a nine-game win streak. The Grizzlies have won their last two, as they sit at 43-20 in third place of the Western Conference.
Boston and Memphis tip-off Thursday at 7:30 p.m. ET, at the TD Garden.
—
Join our daily newsletter to receive our coverage, right in your inbox! Sign up for our daily newsletter to receive all the stories from the day It is a free and easy way to get real and original Boston sports coverage sent directly to your email. Click here to join today!
You can also follow us on Twitter to get stories and highlights on your feed:
Click here to follow us on Twitter!