Jaylen Brown is being checked out for a shoulder injury sustained during Boston’s 102-96 loss to the Chicago Bulls on Monday night in Boston
Brown missed Saturday’s game agains Golden State due to illness after scoring 40 points in Thursday’s win over the Los Angeles Lakers. It wasn’t clear if a single play caused the injury, and Coach Brad Stevens said Brown and Tristan Thompson both had shoulder concerns.
“I don’t know what happened with Tristan,” Stevens said. “Jaylen told me he felt his. He’s going to get it looked at right now. I don’t know what happened. It was a physical game, a tough game.”
Brown made his first six shots and had 13 points in the first quarter against the Bulls. But he cooled off quickly with no points on three misses in the second. He was 4-for-6 shooting in the second half to finish with 23 points and four rebounds in 37 minutes, but he was mostly a non-factor in the fourth quarter.
Brown is averaging 24.6 points and 5.8 rebounds per game this season. The Celtics are 3-2 in the games he’s missed.
The Celtics are off Tuesday and will practice Wednesday before hosting Phoenix, Thursday at 7 p.m.
JAYSON TATUM has come so close to a triple-double numerous times, but when he finally broke through Monday it wasn’t really a cause for celebration.
Tatum had 14 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists in Boston loss to the Bulls, and points were actually the last of the three stats to reach 10. Tatum shot 3 for 17 from the floor, 1 for 4 from 3-point range and made 7 of 8 free throws. With Kemba Walker and Marcus Smart out with non-COVID illnesses, more of the offense ran through Tatum which led to the assist numbers. But the Bulls defense was more focused on him, which contributed to four turnovers.
“They did a great job tonight, defending showing help and making it tough,” said Tatum, who scored 44 points Saturday. “A couple of those shots I thought I could have made. It was one of those tough shooting nights.
“I wasn’t scoring as much as I usually do. I was just trying to impact the game in other ways and help us get a win tonight,” he continued. “I had too many turnovers and obviously didn’t shoot well. It was just a tough night. One of those nights you wish you could have back.”
WITH BOSTON LACKING ball-handling and scoring in the fourth quarter against Chicago, Stevens turned seldom-used guard Tremont Waters loose. Waters had just eight points in April coming in, but he scored nine in eight minutes – all in the fourth quarter – and had two steals to help keep Boston afloat.
“Tremont came out and gave us the best chance to be organized,” Stevens said. “Tremont just has a knack. He did not play well in the Lakers game and was hungry to play well. I thought he lifted us up. … I certainly thought he had a good night.”
THE GAME MARKED the first trip back to TD Garden for former Celtic Daniel Theis, who was dealt to Chicago at the trade deadline last month.
“I’ve practiced against him plenty of times,” Tatum said. “Sad to see him on the other side. But I got nothing but love for that guy.”
Theis finished with six points, six rebounds and four assists as well as five fouls. Javonte Green, another former Celtic on the Bulls, didn’t check in to the game.
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