The Celtics have kept up their winning ways, but Jaylen Brown‘s hip flexor issue continues to linger through the opening parts of the season. Brown is listed as out on the C‘s injury report ahead of the 7:45 p.m. Monday game against the Hawks in his hometown Atlanta.
Brown will miss his second straight game due to the hip flexor issue. The Celtics star told the Boston Globe that he‘s going to have a second MRI as the injury has affected him since training camp. That‘s something to monitor for the Celtics, though Brown has played through the issue early on thus far.
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Sam Hauser is also on the injury report as probable with low back injury management. He missed three straight games last week, but he’s played in the past three games since making his return. Kristaps Porzingis remains out due to the surgery rehab.
With Brown out, the Celtics will tweak their rotations with more playing time available. In the Hornets win Saturday, C‘s coach Joe Mazzulla elected to go with Luke Kornet as the starter alongside Al Horford in a double big lineup. So that’s an interesting wrinkle as Mazzulla has tinkered with the double big look early on this year with different lineups.
Expect bench guys like Hauser and Payton Pritchard to also get more minutes with Brown out. Pritchard poured in 22 points off the bench in the second Hornets win as he‘s had a strong start to the year. Second-year wing Jordan Walsh has also elevated his way to being a potential option when the C‘s are shorthanded. The Celtics are currently 6-1 on the year. The Hawks will be on the second game of a back-to-back Monday as they play the Pelicans on Sunday.
