Celtics All-Star forward Jaylen Brown received pain management injections in his troublesome right knee this week in an effort to promote healing before Boston begins its title defense, league sources told ESPN.
Brown is expected to be ready for the start of the Celtics' first-round playoff series either April 19 or 20, sources said.
Last year's Finals MVP has been dealing with a bone bruise in his knee for some time, but it appeared to be causing him more pain recently. He didn't play much in the second half or overtime of the Celtics' win over the New York Knicks on Tuesday. He then sat out Thursday's loss to the Orlando Magic, ending any chance of him playing in the 65 games required to be eligible for postseason awards.
After the overtime win against the Knicks, Celtics center Kristaps Porzingis urged Brown to rest his injury to be healthier for the playoffs.
"He's a tough dude," Porzingis said. "He always preaches his warrior mindset. He lives by it. But to what extent do we need that right now? Maybe he needs to take care of it and make sure he's going to be ready for the most important moment. I think we need to encourage him to make sure he does everything he needs to prepare to get it healthy and to prepare for what's going to come."
In 63 games, Brown is averaging 22.2 points, his lowest since the 2019-20 season, to go with 5.8 rebounds and a career-high 4.5 assists.
