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Jaylen Brown to miss third straight game; Joe Mazzulla isn’t worried

Vaseline November 7, 2024

Celts

“I’m not worried and I don’t think he is either.”

Jaylen Brown will miss his third straight game for Boston. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

The Celtics will face Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday without one of their top stars.

For the third straight game, Jaylen Brown will be sidelined for Boston due to a left hip flexor issue.

Brown said The Boston Globes Gary Washburn said last weekend that he had an MRI of his left hip flexor during training camp. Pain in his hip has continued to bother him since camp, with Brown telling Washburn he planned to get a second MRI after Friday’s win over the Charlotte Hornets.

“I didn’t feel like my legs were underneath me because of this hip flexor,” Brown told Washburn. “It affects my explosion and my outburst more. And then, mentally, trying to figure that out too. Thinking about it messes everything up a bit, but I’ll be fine.

Despite the obvious concerns that come with one of the team’s top stars sitting out three straight games, head coach Joe Mazzulla didn’t sound the alarm during his weekly radio chat with 98.5 The Sports Hub’s “Zolak and Bertrand” on Tuesday.

“No worries,” Mazzulla said on The Sports Hub. “He is day to day. It’s a tension. He works very hard every day on treatment and is just working on getting back on track. I’m not worried, and I don’t think he is either.”

The Celtics took care of business in the two games Brown has already missed, beating the Hornets on Saturday in the second leg of a back-to-back stretch before beating the Hawks 123-93 on Monday.

Still, Brown’s absence presents a tough break for the Celtics as the 6-1 Warriors come to town. Brown is averaging 25.7 points, 7.2 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game over his six appearances this season.

The Celtics should be strengthened with Jayson Tatum on Wednesday for a rematch against Kerr and the Warriors.

While Tatum (30.0 points, 7.4 rebounds, 5.1 assists) is already playing at an MVP level this season, he’ll have plenty of motivation to take on Kerr — especially after Warriors head coach Tatum made two benched during the match. 2024 Summer Olympics.