The Boston Celtics won't have star guard Jaylen Brown when they take on the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday. Brown was ruled out of the contest due to a right knee contusion, the team announced.
Brown's injury came to light Monday, when the team listed him as questionable on the injury report due to the issue. Upon further examination, Brown will be held out Tuesday.
He did not show signs of an injury during Sunday's game, which the team won 111-89 over the Los Angeles Lakers. Brown played 36 minutes in that contest, scoring 32 points, which led the Celtics.
Brown, 29, is in the midst of his finest season as a pro. Through 51 games, Brown is averaging a career-high 29.2 points, 7.0 rebounds and 4.9 assists per game.
That performance has Brown on the periphery of the MVP hunt. While Brown isn't leading the way in that race just yet, he has support from some pretty notable players. Following Sunday's game, Lakers star LeBron James said he didn't understand why Brown wasn't getting more love for the MVP award this season. Following Jayson Tatum's injury late last season, the Celtics faced a much tougher road to contention this season. Tatum has yet to play in a game this season, but the Celtics are 37-19.
Getting past the Suns without Brown could prove difficult. Phoenix is 33-25 coming into the contest.
Following Tuesday's game, the Celtics will also play Wednesday, when they will take on the Denver Nuggets. Given the back-to-back, it's possible Brown's injury isn't a big deal, and the team just wants to give him more rest ahead of Wednesday's game.