Boston Celtics’ Jaylen Brown returning after one-game absence on account of sprained ankle

BOSTON — The Celtics introduced Jaylen Brown can be accessible to start out Sunday afternoon’s recreation in opposition to the Brooklyn Nets after efficiently testing out his sprained proper ankle earlier than tipoff.

Celtics coach Ime Udoka had stated earlier Sunday that Brown’s standing can be decided by a pregame exercise, and that the ankle sprain, which Brown suffered in Tuesday’s win over the Atlanta Hawks, and compelled him to overlook Thursday’s win over the Memphis Grizzlies, had decreased in swelling to the purpose the place it was a matter of ache tolerance that might resolve Brown’s capacity to play.

“Yeah, he was clearly upgraded to questionable, and he had some taking pictures periods the place he felt OK,” Udoka stated. “Clearly, there’s gonna be some ache there, it is slightly little bit of ache tolerance. However the swelling has gone down and hoping for excellent news after his exercise right here this morning.”

Brown, 25, is averaging 23.2 factors and 6.2 rebounds in 50 video games this season for the Celtics. The Nets, in the meantime, may have each Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving on the court docket collectively for simply the fourth time this season, and solely the 32nd time — out of a complete of 208 common season video games — since they signed along with the Nets in the summertime of 2019.

Requested if it could probably be difficult to have to modify recreation plans a number of occasions in a playoff sequence if Irving continues to be unable to play at Barclays Heart within the playoffs on account of failing to adjust to New York Metropolis’s vaccine mandate, Udoka quipped, “No. The problem is guarding him.

“So, if he is out, it is nice by me.”