Jaylen Brown Out for Celtics' Game vs. Rockets with Knee Injury

The Boston Celtics announced Sunday that guard Jaylen Brown will miss tonight's game against the Houston Rockets because of left patella tendinopathy.

Brown was initially listed as questionable with the knee injury after being limited in Friday's loss to the Toronto Raptors. He scored just nine points in the game after scoring 46 in the season-opener against the New York Knicks.

Brown spent the offseason recovering from a wrist injury that kept him out of the playoffs. He underwent scapholunate reconstruction surgery in May that had a recovery timeline of three months.

His absence contributed to a first-round postseason exit for Boston, which lost to the Brooklyn Nets in five games.

The Celtics could once again struggle to score if Brown misses more time, putting a lot of pressure on Jayson Tatum and Dennis Schroder to carry the offense.

Brown was in the midst of a breakout season in 2020-21 before his injury, averaging 24.7 points, 6.0 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game while shooting a career-high 39.7 percent from three-point range. It led to his first All-Star selection while he lives up to his four-year, $106 million extension signed in 2019.

A hot start to 2021-22 has now been quieted by a new injury.

The 25-year-old remains one of the top two-way players in the league at his position, but he has to prove he can stay on the court.

Josh Richardson should see a bigger role while Brown works his way back to full strength, while Aaron Nesmith could also get some extra minutes.