Getty Images Jayson Tatum, Payton Pritchard of the Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics learned that rookie Payton Pritchard suffered a Grade 1 MCL sprain in his right knee Friday night against the Philadelphia 76ers.
He’s expected to miss at least two weeks but they’re hoping to see All-Star Jayson Tatum much sooner. Pritchard, who the Celtics say will return to on-court activities in two weeks, had an MRI confirm what the team’s initial thought was when Payton was helped off the floor Friday night.
The severity of his knee sprain is, fortunately, not worse, and, barring any other setbacks, he should be back with the team, in February.
Brad Stevens’ Jayson Tatum Update: ‘I Anticipate He’ll Play Tomorrow’
Celtics head coach Brad Stevens will take the good with the bad through and through. After watching one of his most promising players suffer his first injury in the pros, he watched his team snap its losing streak in an emphatic way, saw Brown make history, and could be watching Jayson Tatum take on the Bulls on Monday night.
Stevens provided us with an update on his Tatum prior to tip-off, Sunday.
“Worked out each of the last couple days, worked out really hard yesterday,” Stevens said. “(He) actually got some up and down in with guys that didn’t play and coaches. I anticipate he’ll play tomorrow.”
Celtics’ Jaylen Brown Filling In Nicely Amidst Hot Scoring Streak
For Boston, it was Jaylen Brown tying his career-high 42 points that led the charge, on Friday. He connected on 16-of-28 from the floor, including 5-of-8 from deep and 5-of-7 from the free-throw line. Brown’s dominant performance from Friday, which he followed up with a historic one Sunday; exemplified just how dialed-in Jaylen truly is this season.
With 16 games under his belt, Jaylen’s scored over 20 points in 13 of them. There aren’t many other NBA players scoring at the rate Brown is; very few, in fact.
Before Brown made history, Celtics head coach Brad Stevens put it bluntly for his team, following the Sixers loss – its third straight defeat – calling on them to play better. And his team, along with Brown answered the call in a big way Sunday night when they crushed the Cavs, 141-103.
“We just have to be better, we have to be more detail-oriented,” Stevens explained after losing to Philly. “Everything has to be crisper, everything has to be tighter, everything has to be done to perfection, even more so, when the other team is locked in. Two half hazard, in my opinion. I mean, hey, we had guys out. They have a really good team; they’re really physical. They hurt us with physicality in both games, this week. But, whenever you step between the lines and you got a chance to win or control what you can control; win or lose, whether we get over the hump or not, in this game, it’s not the point.
“The point is; we have to do our jobs better.”
Since clearing the NBA health and safety protocol, Brown’s offense has been sizzling hot, for Boston. In his last five games, he averaged 29.4 points on 51.9% shoot from the floor, including 44.4% from behind the arc.
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