Jaylen Brown misses third straight game; Joe Mazzulla isn't worried

Celtics

“Don’t worry, and I don’t think it’s him either.”

The Celtics will face Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday without one of their top stars.

For the third straight season, Jaylen Brown will be sidelined for Boston due to left hip flexor issues.

Brown told The Boston Globe Gary Washburn announced over the weekend that he received an MRI of his left hip flexor during training camp. The pain in his hip has continued to bother him since camp, and Brown told Washburn that he planned to have a second MRI scan after Friday's win over the Charlotte Hornets.

“I didn’t feel like my legs were underneath me and I was struggling with that hip flexor,” Brown told Washburn. “It affects more of my explosion and breakout. And then I mentally try to figure it out too. When I think about it, it messes things up a bit, but I’ll be fine.”

Despite the obvious concern that comes with having one of the team's top stars miss three straight games, head coach Joe Mazzulla didn't raise any alarm bells Tuesday during his weekly radio call with 98.5 The Sports Hub's “Zolak and Bertrand.”

“Don’t worry,” Mazzulla said on The Sports Hub. “It is suitable for everyday use. It's a burden. He works very hard every day on treatment and just working to get it back under control. I’m not worried and I don’t think he is either.”

The Celtics have taken care of business in the two games Brown has already missed, defeating the Hornets in back-to-back games on Saturday before defeating the Hawks 123-93 on Monday.

Still, Brown's absence is a blow to the Celtics, as the Warriors come to town at 6-1. Brown averaged 25.7 points, 7.2 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game in his six appearances this season.

The Celtics should be strengthened on Wednesday as Jayson Tatum faces a rematch against Kerr and the Warriors.

While Tatum (30.0 points, 7.4 rebounds, 5.1 assists) is already playing at an MVP level early this season, he will go against Kerr with great motivation – especially after the Warriors' head coach Tatum during this He has been benched twice this season for the 2024 Summer Olympics.

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Conor Ryan is a staff writer covering the Bruins, Celtics, Patriots and Red Sox for Boston.com, a role he has held since 2023.

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