Jaylen Brown missing Monday's Celtics game vs. Knicks due to personal reasons
BOSTON -- The Celtics have had their regular starting five on the floor together for just 53 minutes this season. That total will not be going up Monday night when Boston visits the New York Knicks.
That's because swingman Jaylen Brown will miss the contest, ruled out Sunday night due to personal reasons. It's never good news when one of the team's best players sits out -- minus those "load management" games for Jayson Tatum that everyone is hollering about -- but at least Brown's absence isn't because of the facial fracture that he suffered ahead of the All-Star break.
Brown missed Boston's final four games ahead of the break after suffering a facial contusion courtesy of a Tatum elbow in a win over the 76ers. Brown has worn a protective mask his last two times on the floor for the Celtics (and during the NBA All-Star Game), and hasn't really missed a beat for Boston. He scored 30 points and pulled down 11 rebounds in last Thursday's win over the Pacers before he scored 26 -- including 10 in the fourth quarter -- in Saturday night's win over the 76ers.
Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla has been able to feature Boston's starting five of Tatum, Brown, Marcus Smart, Al Horford, and Robert Williams over the last two games, but Brown's absence Monday will keep that group from logging a ninth game together. Derrick White, Malcolm Brogdon, and Sam Hauser should all see more run in place of Brown against the Knicks.
Brown is averaging 26.5 points and seven rebounds per game this season, earning his second career All-Star nod in the process. He scored 30 points in an early season win over the Knicks in November, but missed a pair of potential go-ahead free throws with 7.6 seconds left in an eventual overtime loss to New York in January.
The Knicks are a surprising 35-27 on the season, but are just 5-8 against Atlantic Division foes. The Celtics remain the best team in the NBA at 44-17, and have won nine of their last 11 games since that Jan. 26 loss to New York.
