The injury bug continues to pester Jaylen Brown.
The Boston Celtics swingman was injured yet again during Tuesday’s loss to the Houston Rockets at Toyota Center. Brown slipped while battling Russell Westbrook for the ball late in the fourth quarter and took a tumble before limping off to the sideline, where he met with trainers.
Some feared Brown injured his right ankle for the third time this week on the play. The 23-year-old missed Friday’s win over the Atlanta Hawks before re-injuring it Sunday against the Oklahoma City Thunder but chose to “push through” Tuesday’s game in Houston anyway.
But Brown’s ankle wasn’t the problem this time around. It was his calf.
“He got his calf kicked, so it’s a calf contusion,” head coach Brad Stevens told reporters after the game, via NBC Sports Boston. “I don’t know what that means.”
Brown confirmed he took a knee to his left calf but hopes to compete in Thursday’s game against the Los Angeles Clippers in Boston, per NBC Sports Boston’s A.Sherrod Blakey. With one game until the All-Star break, however, it’s unclear if the Celtics will take the risk.
Whether he plays Thursday or not, there is one silver lining to the situation.
“It’s not an ankle. That’s great,” Stevens said.
Here are some more notes from Tuesday’s Celtics-Rockets game:
— The Celtics had a seven-game win streak snapped Tuesday night, and Stevens seems to know why.
“I thought (the Rockets) forced us in to being stagnant offensively with their physicality and with their switches, and that hurt us,” Stevens said. “And then (James) Harden was great in that stretch. Westbrook was great. Those guys are two of the best in the world and they showed it again tonight.”
— Tatum’s five-game streak of 25-plus point games ended against the Rockets. Still, the 21-year-old now has scored double figures in 40 (!) straight games, per Celtics Stats.
— In typical James Harden fashion, the eight-time All-Star posted 19 straight points for the Rockets in the third quarter, including a 13-0 run. He wound up with a game-high 42 points on the night.
Here are a couple of highlights:
STEP ? pic.twitter.com/dM9aTaWAes
— Houston Rockets (@HoustonRockets) February 12, 2020
James Harden drills the step-back (28 PTS) and has scored 17 straight for the @HoustonRockets! ?
?: @NBAonTNT pic.twitter.com/sqLAlGMV65
— NBA (@NBA) February 12, 2020
Harden has scored the Rockets' past 19 points! ? pic.twitter.com/GbTb1g681G
— Houston Rockets (@HoustonRockets) February 12, 2020
