Per the Boston Celtics, Jaylen Brown will miss their road game against the Utah Jazz on Friday night.
Brown was out for nearly three weeks after injuring his hamstring during the Celtics' Nov 4 win over the Miami Heat. The All-Star forward has undergone pregame testing and been a game-time decision in each of Boston's games since returning on Nov 22 for a matchup against the Houston Rockets.
In Wednesday's home win VS the Philadelphia 76ers, Brown repeatedly reached for his hamstring, and his burst and explosivity were significantly compromised.
Still, Brown gutted it out, logging 33 minutes, chipping in nine points and four rebounds. He also made a terrific effort on a fourth-quarter play that was worthy of a Tommy point, working to deny Joel Embiid in the post and then coming over to contest a Tyrese Maxey layup that bricked off the backboard. Boston went on to win the game by a point.
It's unclear how long Brown will be out for, but expect Dennis Schroder to once again step into the starting lineup in his absence.
The Celtics are about to embark on a west coast road trip that begins with a back-to-back starting Friday night in Utah. Then, on Saturday, they'll face the Portland Trail Blazers, who will be without franchise floor general Damian Lillard due to lower abdominal tendinopathy. Next, it's a rivalry rematch with the Los Angeles Lakers, who Boston beat on its home court two weeks ago. After that, they'll square off against the Los Angeles Clippers and then wrap up their stay on the left coast with a showdown with the Phoenix Suns, who are currently on a 17-game win streak and did not lose in November. Awaiting the Celtics when they return home on Dec 13 is a matchup with the defending NBA champions, the Milwaukee Bucks.
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