The Celtics will be without Jaylen Brown, who is dealing with a right knee contusion, when they face the Phoenix Suns tonight -- according to the team's injury report.
The five-time All-Star will join teammate Jayson Tatum as the only other listed as OUT for Boston, as he continues to recovery from a torn Achilles and the team plays the first night of a back-to-back before heading to Denver to take on the Nuggets Wednesday to wrap up a four-game road trip.
Brown, who coming off a 32-point performances to go along with eight rebounds and seven assists in a 111-89 victory against the rival Los Angeles Lakers, will miss his sixth game -- to which the Celtics are 4-1 when he's been out of the lineup this season.
Look for Payton Pritchard to become that much more important for Joe Mazzulla and the Celtics' offense, as the reigning Sixth Man of the Year is averaging 21.5 points per contest on 52.5% shooting and 45.2% from 3-point range and 6.3 assists in the last eight games since returning to his off the bench role. Boston is 7-1 in that span.
The Phoenix Suns will also be shorthanded when they host the Celtics, as leading scorers Devin Booker (right hip strain) and Dillon Brooks (broken left hand) are both out.
The Celtics, winners of their last eight of nine games, currently have the Eastern Conference's second-best record and the NBA's fourth-best at 37-19. They also have the fourth-best net rating, and third-best offense.
Meanwhile, the Suns have dropped six of their last 10 games, but still own the Western Conference's seventh-best record at 33-25, despite their recent injuries.
Celtics-Suns tip-off from Mortgage Matchup Center at 9:00 pm ET.
Joel Pavón
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