Celtics, on eve of Heat rematch, announce Jaylen Brown out for season
The Boston Celtics received a devastating injury update on the eve of Tuesday night’s rematch against the Miami Heat at TD Garden, with news that All-Star forward Jaylen Brown will miss the remainder of the season.
After Brown had missed the previous three games, including Sunday’s 130-124 home loss to the Heat, with what Boston had listed as a sprained right ankle, the Celtics offered a sobering update Monday evening:
“This past weekend Celtics forward Jaylen Brown was diagnosed with a torn scapholunate ligament in his left wrist. Brown is expected to have the torn ligament surgically repaired later this week, and will be out for the remainder of the 2020-21 season. Further updates will be provided as appropriate.”
The Celtics had gone 1-2 during Brown’s absence.
Boston also could be without center Robert Williams III, who started Sunday but played only 11:27 due to a recurrence of turf toe. He also is listed as doubtful for Tuesday’s game.
Without Williams it could mean even more time for veteran center Tristan Thompson, who played 31:55 in Sunday’s loss.
“We may have to sit him,” Celtics coach Brad Stevens said of Williams. “I don’t know what the deal is right now. That’s obviously something we’re gonna have to manage, because I think I played Tristan about 15 straight minutes there in the second half. So there’s some challenges ahead with that.”
The absence of Williams led to Sunday playing time at center for Luke Kornet.
Without Brown, the Celtics rounded out their Sunday starting lineup beyond Williams with Jayson Tatum, Even Fournier, Marcus Smart and Kemba Walker.
Heat forward Jimmy Butler said after Sunday’s game that the Heat’s expectation was that Brown would return Tuesday.
The Heat remain without guard Victor Oladipo, who stayed behind in South Florida and will miss his 17th consecutive game due to a sore right knee. He was the lone Heat player on Monday’s injury report.
Last chance
The Heat, in their final opportunity, on Tuesday night will attempt to do something they have failed to accomplish this season: sweep a two-game series at the same venue.
Tuesday marks the 10th and final time this season the Heat play consecutive games against the same opponent in the same city.
The results so far:
Dec. 29-30, home vs. Milwaukee Bucks: Lost, won.
Jan. 12-14, road vs. Philadelphia 76ers: Lost, lost.
Jan. 16-19, home vs. Detroit Pistons: Lost, won.
Jan. 20-22, road vs. Toronto Raptors (in Tampa): Won, lost.
Jan. 23-25, road vs. Brooklyn Nets: Lost, lost.
Feb. 3-5, home vs. Washington Wizards: Lost, won.
Feb. 28-March 2, home vs. Atlanta Hawks: Won, lost.
March 19-21, home vs. Indiana Pacers: Lost, lost.
April 24-26, home vs. Chicago Bulls: Won, lost.
The league adopted the approach for this season due to pandemic protocols and the compacted 72-game schedule.
The Heat also played the New York Knicks in consecutive games, but different venues, on Feb. 7-9, winning at Madison Square Garden and then winning at AmericanAirlines Arena.
National perspective
TNT on Monday picked up Thursday’s 7:30 p.m. game vs. the 76ers at AmericanAirlines Arena as the first game of its national doubleheader. The game no longer will be carried by Bally Sports Sun.
Similarly, with Tuesday game in Boston televised on TNT, there also will be no local South Florida coverage on Bally Sports Sun.
In addition, the Heat have been informed that their final two games, both on the road, on Saturday in Milwaukee and Sunday in Detroit, will be played as afternoon games.
Winning ways
With Sunday’s victory, the Heat clinched their 11th winning season in Erik Spoelstra’s 13 seasons as coach.
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That ties the Houston Rockets, Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs for the most winning seasons over that period.
The Celtics can also make it 11 such winning seasons in the last 13 years with victories in at least two of their final four games.
