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Brad Stevens told reporters Saturday that Jaylen Brown will not play in the Celtics’ home game on Sunday against the Indiana Pacers after suffering a concussion Thursday in Minnesota.
#NEBHInjuryReport: Brad Stevens says that Jaylen Brown has no structural damage, but that Brown did suffer a concussion and will not be available tomorrow night against Indiana.
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) March 10, 2018
Stevens also provided the following quote regarding Brown’s progress from Chris Forsberg.
“He went through a series of tests [Friday] that were more detailed even than the ones he went through in Minnesota. Everything came back negative so he’s doing better. He’s sore. … Structurally — neck, back, shoulders — he’s going to be fine.”
Brown had a scary fall Thursday in Minnesota after completing a beautiful transition dunk and losing his grip on the rim. He fell on the back of his head/neck area but was able to walk off the floor on his own power. A concussion is never a good thing, but from the look of the fall, things could have been much worse.
Stevens did not commit to naming a starter in Brown’s place, but could go a number of different directions with Marcus Smart, Terry Rozier, or even Semi Ojeleye. Boston had Shane Larkin in the starting lineup in Kyrie Irving’s place against Chicago to keep the core of the second unit together.
The Celtics and Pacers tip off Sunday at 7:30 p.m. EST, and we will continue to update Brown’s progress through the NBA’s concussion protocol.