Jaylen Brown Sits With Achilles Tendinitis — Celtics Lose at MSG Without Him

Jaylen Brown was ruled out of Wednesday night's game against the Knicks with left Achilles tendinitis — the same issue that kept him out of two games in late March. Just 24 hours earlier, he dropped 35 points and nine rebounds against the Hornets. Now he's sitting.

Without Brown, the Celtics fell 112-106 at Madison Square Garden. Josh Hart led the Knicks with 26 points. Jayson Tatum put up 24/13/8 and Baylor Scheierman hit 6-of-7 from three, but it wasn't enough. The loss means Boston still hasn't clinched the No. 2 seed or the Atlantic Division crown.

The real worry is bigger than one regular season game. Brown has been the Celtics' most important player this season, carrying the load while Tatum dealt with his own injuries. The playoffs start April 18. Boston cannot afford to have Brown's Achilles flaring up when it matters most.