Jaylen Brown out for Warriors vs. Celtics game with hip injury – NBC Sports Bay Area & California

The Warriors face a tough opponent in the Boston Celtics on Wednesday, but the defending champions will be without one of their best players in the rematch of the 2022 NBA Finals at TD Garden.

Celtics shooting guard Jaylen Brown will miss his third straight game when the Warriors come to town as he battles an injury, as Boston officially ruled him out on Tuesday with a left hip flexor strain. Brown averaged 25.7 points on 40 percent shooting, along with 7.2 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.5 steals in six games before missing his first contest on November 2nd.

While the injury that has been bothering Brown since training camp will force the reigning Finals MVP to miss another game, Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla told 98.5 The Sports Hub's “Zolak & Bertrand” on Tuesday that he “Don’t worry” about it.

“He’s doing well,” Mazzulla said of Brown. “It's a burden and he's working very hard every day in treatment and just trying to get back on track. So he’s not worried, and I don’t think he is either.”

Although the injury does not appear to be a long-term issue in Mazzula's eyes, Brown will not be on the field to face the Warriors. Both teams enter the main duel with just one loss in the 2024/25 NBA season, and the matchup with Jayson Tatum and Co. will certainly serve as a benchmark for Golden State, even without Brown in Boston's starting lineup.

Warriors guard De'Anthony Melton (back) is the only Golden State player on the injury report and has been ruled out for Wednesday's game. The team got Steph Curry back for Monday night's 125-112 win over the Washington Wizards at Capitol One Arena, and the Warriors superstar finished the game with a team-high 24 points on 7 of 15 shooting with six assists and three rebounds.

Curry described Golden State as “vibrant” after the win on “Warriors Postgame Live,” and the team will certainly look to keep that energy going in their matchup against the Brown-less Celtics on Wednesday.

Download and follow the Dubs Talk Podcast