The Boston Celtics have a daunting opponent in the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday night.
And even more so without star wing Jaylen Brown.
The team announced that Brown would sit out for the third game of the West Coast road trip with some left knee soreness.
And in his pregame media availability, coach Brad Stevens revealed the ailment was just a result of the heavy load Brown has been carrying for the Celtics through 20 games so far this season.
"Sounds like Jaylen's was just over the course of the first couple of weeks here, just some general soreness of that knee, and he really felt it probably more than he had been in that Sacramento game," Stevens revealed. "Just saw the layup in front of our bench where he laid it in off of one leg. He looked like me on that one. He was sore that night, yesterday still sore, this morning, still. So he'll be more of a day-to-day, but he's dealing with just the intensity of all these games that have come before already that he hasn't missed any of. Hopefully it's not something long term, we're certainly on top of it. But it wasn't on moment that I know."
While Brown misses the game against the Clippers, starting point guard Kemba Walker, who missed Wednesday's game against the Sacramento Kings, and rookie Payton Pritchard both are available.
Boston and L.A. tip off at 10 p.m. ET.
