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Joe Mazzulla Reveals Confidence Level in Jaylen Brown Returning for Celtics' Playoff Run

The four-time All-Star is dealing with a knee injury.

Mike Kadlick

Brown has been dealing with a knee injury down the stretch of the season.
Brown has been dealing with a knee injury down the stretch of the season. / Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images
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Celtics forward Jaylen Brown has been dealing with what the team's injury report lists as a "right knee posterior impingement" over the last several weeks. The two-way star has missed a slew of games down the stretch for Boston and recently received a painkilling shot ahead of what they hope to be an NBA title-defending playoff run.

After vaguely detailing where Brown is at injury-wise on Thursday, Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla revealed on Sunday what his confidence is that the 28-year-old will return for the postseason:

"100%," he said without hesitation. "I'm confident in him because of the work ethic he has, the mindset he has, and the preparation he puts into all of it."

Over 63 games played in 2024-25, Brown averaged 22.2 points and a career-high 4.5 assists while earning his third-consecutive NBA All-Star nod—his fourth overall.

As for his Celtics team, they recorded their 15th 60-win season in franchise history this week while locking up the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs. They'll take on the Charlotte Hornets on Sunday in their season finale, before getting ready for the winner of Atlanta Hawks and Orlando Magic in the NBA's Play-In Tournament.

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Mike Kadlick
MIKE KADLICK

Mike Kadlick is a contributor to the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. Before joining SI in November 2024, he covered the New England Patriots for WEEI sports radio in Boston and continues to do so for CLNS Media. He has a master's in public relations from Boston University. Kadlick is also an avid runner and a proud lover of all things pizza.

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