Jaylen Brown was downgraded to doubtful with low back spasms for the Celtics’ game against the Pacers at 7:30 p.m. Monday in Indiana. The C’s will likely be shorthanded as they have a relatively lengthy injury report. Sam Hauser is questionable with right hamstring tightness. Josh Minott (left ankle sprain) and Jayson Tatum (Achilles) are out.
Brown has played in 36 of the Celtics’ 38 games this season, rarely taking a night off. It’s looking like that could be the case Monday. Brown called out the referees after the loss to the Spurs on Saturday, saying he was “irate” by some of the calls the C’s didn’t get on the night.
Hauser also sat the loss Saturday to San Antonio. He was a late scratch due to the hamstring issue. The wing had started four straight games for Boston before then, so that’s something to monitor.
Hugo Gonzalez got his second career start with Hauser unavailable against the Spurs. Minott will miss his fourth straight game due to the ankle sprain. Expect Gonzalez, Jordan Walsh and Baylor Scheierman to play extra minutes if Hauser misses another game.
The Celtics have continued to impress this season, though they went 2-2 on their recent home stand. They lost to the Nuggets and Spurs in the past week. The C’s are back on the road for four straight games, facing the Pacers to start things off.