Jaylen Brown likely will be unavailable when the Celtics begin a four-game road trip Monday night in Indiana.
Boston listed Brown as doubtful for its matchup with the Pacers with what the team called low back spasms.
Brown has missed just two games this season (both due to illness) and posted career-best numbers, averaging 29.5 points, 6.4 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game while shooting 49.5% from the field and 37.6% from 3-point range. As of Sunday, only Luka Doncic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Tyrese Maxey, Donovan Mitchell and Nikola Jokic were averaging more points per game.
In Saturday’s 100-95 loss to the San Antonio Spurs at TD Garden, Brown set a season high with 43 minutes played, his most in a non-overtime game since Game 5 of the 2024 NBA Finals. The 10th-year pro tallied 27 points, eight rebounds and seven assists, but he committed five turnovers, including one in the final minute with the Celtics trailing by two.
After the game, Brown blasted Curtis Blair’s officiating crew in an expletive-filled rant, calling the referees “terrible” and saying he’d “take the (expletive) fine” for his profane comments. The Celtics attempted just four free throws in the loss — tied for the second-lowest single-game total in franchise history — and Brown took zero.
“They can fine me whatever they want,” Brown said. “But it’s crazy. Every time we play a good team, it’s the same (BS). Somebody please pull up the clips. I’m irate at how they officiated the game today. If we can’t get to the free-throw line and teams are allowed to be physical and bump us off our spots, etc., then it’s hard to win games like that.”
Boston also listed starter Sam Hauser (right hamstring tightness) as questionable for Monday’s game and ruled out reserve Josh Minott (left ankle sprain). Hauser was a late scratch before Saturday’s loss. Minott has missed the last three games, and he appeared in just one of the previous six after falling out of head coach Joe Mazzulla’s rotation.
The 24-14 Celtics entered Sunday tied with the Knicks for the second-best record in the Eastern Conference, with New York holding the tiebreaker. The 8-31 Pacers, who have been pummeled by injuries this season after reaching the 2025 NBA Finals, sit last in the East standings.