Jaylen Brown dealing with ligament injury in hand, but "it's nothing to be concerned about"
BOSTON -- With just six regular-season games remaining before the start of the playoffs, all-star Celtics forward Jaylen Brown is dealing with a hand injury.
"Yeah, I think I got like a sprain or like a strain on a ligament in my hand," Brown said Wednesday night after the Celtics' 135-100 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder.
The injury kept Brown out of Monday's win in Charlotte, but he returned to the court on Wednesday, scoring 23 points with seven rebounds, four assists and a pair of blocks in 33 minutes on the floor. He did, however, commit a game-high five turnovers.
Brown said that playing through the injury will help him and the team get a better understanding and feel of the issue as the team heads toward the postseason.
"I think it's fine. It's something I'm not concerned with going forward, but it bothered me a little tonight," he said. "But part of it is working through it, playing through it, beacuse that gives you a little bit more information down the line if things were to get any worse. But I think it's nothing to be concerned about."
Though Brown admitted to the injury causing some discomfort on Wednesday, he certainly adapted. In the fourth quarter, Brown shot 5-for-6 from the field, which included 3-for-4 from behind the arc, scoring 15 of his points in the final quarter. That fourth-quarter performance helped turn a 10-point Celtics lead into a 35-point blowout victory.
Wednesday's win also secured home-court advantage for the Celtics throughout the postseason, so there won't be much for the Celtics to play for over the final 10 days of the regular season. That may result in some more rest for Brown, but based on his postgame comments, that may not be necessary.
