According to Ramona Shelburne of ESPN, Boston Celtics small forward Jaylen Brown received pain management injections in his right knee this week. The 2024 Finals MVP has been dealing with a bone bruise in his right knee.
The Celtics are the second seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs. They are looking to become the first team since the 2017-18 Golden State Warriors to win back-to-back championships.
Before the Celtics hosted the Charlotte Hornets on Sunday, Boston head coach Joe Mazzulla was asked to speak about Brown’s health before the 2025 playoffs begin.
While Mazzulla didn’t go into detail about the injections Brown received, he said he’s confident the All-Star will be ready for the postseason.
The Celtics will face the winner of the 7-8 play-in tournament game in the first round of the 2025 playoffs. The Orlando Magic (7) will face the Atlanta Hawks (8) in that gme.
Brown won’t make one of the three All-NBA teams this season since he didn’t play in at least 65 games in the regular season. The four-time All-Star appeared in 63 games. He averaged 22.2 points, 5.8 rebounds and 4.5 assists while shooting 46.3 percent from the field, 32.4 percent from beyond the arc and 76.4 percent from the free-throw line.
The Celtics likely won’t repeat as NBA champions if Brown doesn’t play at a high level. The swingman has career postseason averages of 19.1 points, 5.6 rebounds and 2.4 assists.
Boston looks like its ready to defend its title. The team is eighth in the NBA in points per game, second in points per game allowed, second in offensive rating, fifth in defensive rating and third in net rating.
This next week will be crucial for Brown to get as much rest as he can so his right knee is ready for the 2025 postseason. The Celtics need 16 wins in the playoffs to win their second straight championship.
