Just days after Jayson Tatum underwent surgery for a torn right Achilles tendon, the Boston Celtics have been dealt another injury blow. ESPN reported Saturday that fellow Celtics star Jaylen Brown has been diagnosed with a partially torn right meniscus, an injury he played through during the final stretch of the regular season and the entire postseason.
The 28-year-old forward, who averaged 22.1 points and 7.1 rebounds in 36.5 minutes per game during the playoffs, began receiving pain injections in March, according to previous ESPN reports. Despite the severity of the injury, Brown sat out only the final three games of the regular season and managed to suit up for every postseason matchup.
“I don’t make excuses,” Brown told reporters following the Celtics’ Game 6 loss to the New York Knicks, which ended their playoff run in the Eastern Conference semifinals. “Obviously, it’s tough the way we went out… but the way we finished the year, personally, the way I finished the year, persevering through some physical stuff that I was battling through, I’m proud of our group.”
The Celtics were hampered by injuries in the postseason. Tatum was ruled out after suffering his Achilles injury in Game 4 against the Knicks, and Kristaps Porzingis also wasn’t at full strength due to an undisclosed illness.
Now completing his ninth NBA season, Brown — the No. 3 overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft — appeared in 63 regular season games, averaging 22.2 points, 5.8 rebounds, and a career-high 4.5 assists in 34.3 minutes per game. Over his career, he has posted 19.0 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 2.6 assists in 603 games (496 starts).
Brown will undergo further evaluation this week to determine whether surgery is necessary. His health, along with that of Tatum and Porzingis, will be critical as the Celtics look to regroup and contend again next season.
