Celtics' Jaylen Brown Ruled out vs. Hawks with Ankle Injury

Boston Celtics star Jaylen Brown will not return in Tuesday's game against the Atlanta Hawks after suffering a sprained right ankle.

The wing played just three minutes before going down on a drive to the basket.

A hamstring strain sidelined Brown for eight games in November. After returning to the court, he was unavailable again for five games, admitting he "came back maybe a little too early before."

When healthy, the 2020-21 All-Star has hit his usual level. Through 49 games, he's averaging 23.7 points, 6.3 rebounds and 3.3 assists.

For the Celtics, however, this has been another season in which they don't seem to be hitting their ceiling. At 36-27, Boston entered the day sixth in the Eastern Conference.

That's better than where the team was earlier in the year as it struggled to stay above .500. Still, another first-round exit might renew questions about whether the franchise can continue to orient its future around Brown and Jayson Tatum.

For now, Brown's contributions are integral toward the Celtics' chances of staying out of the play-in tournament and potentially climbing into the top four of the East.

Trading for Derrick White from the San Antonio Spurs was a shrewd move ahead of the deadline as the 6'4" guard checked a lot of boxes that Boston needed to fill. His arrival is even more important since he's likely to replace Brown in the starting rotation.