Jaylen Brown Out vs. Knicks, Latest Injury Updates on Celtics Star Ahead of NBA Playoffs

The Boston Celtics will be without one of their leaders for Thursday's marquee game against a fellow Eastern Conference contender in the New York Knicks.

NBA insider Marc Stein reported the Celtics said Jaylen Brown will not take the court because of left Achilles tendinitis.

Boston can clinch the No. 2 seed in the East with a win over the Knicks, although it would take quite the collapse even if they lose to fall out of that position with a three-game advantage and three games remaining.

With the team likely locked into the No. 2 spot, making sure Brown is 100 percent come playoff time makes sense. That could mean a more cautious approach in the final few contests, even the ones against contenders such as New York.

Thursday's game could be a second-round preview, as the Celtics and Knicks would face each other if they end up with the Nos. 2 and 3 seeds and each advance past the first round.

It is also more important for New York, as it has just a half-game lead over the Cleveland Cavaliers in the race for the No. 3 spot. Of course, falling to No. 4 would also mean avoiding a matchup with the Celtics until a potential Eastern Conference Finals.

As for Brown, he has turned in a career season for Boston.

With Jayson Tatum sidelined for the majority of the campaign, Brown stepped into the role of go-to option admirably and is averaging 28.8 points, 7.0 rebounds, 5.2 assists and 1.0 steals per game while shooting 47.6 percent from the field and 34.4 percent from deep.

He is a candidate to make the All-NBA First Team for what would be the first time in his career and is a major reason the Celtics have championship aspirations with the playoffs looming.

Making sure he is healthy for those playoffs is surely a top priority for the team down the stretch of the season.