Jaylen Brown Says He Will Return from Hamstring Injury for Game 2 vs. 76ers

Celtics guard Jaylen Brown said Monday he will return from a hamstring injury to play in Game 2 of Boston's second-round playoff series against the Philadelphia 76ers on Thursday.

According to A. Sherrod Blakely of NBC Sports, Brown said: "I'll be back. I'm playing."

Despite Brown's absence in Game 1, the Celtics took a 1-0 series lead with a 117-101 win Monday.

Brown pushed the medical staff to allow him to play in Game 1, but he added: "There was some concern that I could re-aggravate it and it becomes a season-ending injury. I'm basically trying to come back in two days from a two week-type injury."

The 21-year-old Brown was Boston's second-leading scorer during the regular season behind guard Kyrie Irving, who is out for the remainder of the campaign with a knee ailment.

During Boston's first-round playoff series against the Milwaukee Bucks, Brown put up 17.9 points, 4.7 rebounds and 1.4 assists per contest.

Marcus Smart got the start in Game 1 against Philadelphia with Brown out, but it was Terry Rozier, Al Horford and Jayson Tatum who stepped in to replace Brown's production. That trio combined for 83 of Boston's 117 points, with each scoring at least 26.

Without Brown in the lineup, however, the Celtics bench was thin; the team had just 19 bench points in Game 1.

If Brown can come back in Game 2 and play at the level head coach Brad Stevens has grown accustomed to, Boston could put the upstart Sixers in an even deeper hole.