LOS ANGELES — Jaylen Brown had two untimely miscues that almost ended up costing the Celtics a win on Wednesday night. Ultimately, his two turnovers in the final minute of regulation opened the door for overtime but the visitors were able to regain control in the extra frame and pull out a 117-113 win over the Clippers.
Brown led the Celtics with a team-high 25 points in the win but did not look like himself defensively for much of the contest. After the victory while crediting Jaden Springer for his defensive spark, the All-Star revealed he was hobbled by an ankle injury in the first half.
“Defensively, we weren’t at our best,” Brown admitted. “Kevin Porter was getting the best of us. I rolled my ankle in the second quarter again, so that kind of slowed me down. Jaden just came in and just hawked the ball. Gave us some energy on defense and helped us get a win. So you gotta commend that. That’s huge. Then he hit some big shots on the other end. So it was definitely a great Jaden Springer game.”
Brown has played every game so far in the midst of a grueling five games in seven days stretch that will conclude on Thursday night against the Lakers. It appears the ankle injury is just one of many ailments impacting the Celtics star currently but Brown seems intent on suiting up against LeBron James and Anthony Davis for the tough back-to-back in Los Angeles.
“Just pushing through,” Brown said. “I think this is definitely the rougher part, physically, during the season. I got some injuries and things like that. But I try to make myself available every night. I’ll make no excuses. But it is what it is. I’m a little beat up. But I’ll be ready tomorrow.”
Brown has missed just seven games this season and none since January 2nd. He’s carried a heavier minutes load overall, flirting with a career-high at 35.5 minutes per game so his status will be worth watching over the remainder of this road trip, which concludes in Dallas on Saturday.
The good news for Brown is that the Celtics should have plenty of reinforcements back in the lineup for Thursday’s contest against the Lakers. Jrue Holiday, Al Horford and Kristaps Porzingis are all expected to be available after sitting out the front end of the back-to-back.
The Celtics and Lakers tip off at 10 p.m. ET on Thursday night in a nationally televised matchup on TNT.
- BETTING: Check out our MA sports betting guide, where you can learn basic terminology, definitions and how to read odds for those interested in learning how to bet in Massachusetts.
