BOSTON — Jaylen Brown says he will miss the final two regular-season games for the Boston Celtics but expects to be ready to go in time for the start of the playoffs after cutting a finger on his shooting hand.
Brown told reporters Friday night before a game against Toronto that he cut his hand on some glass Thursday night and had to get five stitches. He was wearing a protective wrap and expects to be restricted for at least the next two days.
Marcus Smart (neck spasms) and Malcolm Brogdon (back) also sat out Friday against Toronto.
Coach Joe Mazzulla said he doesn’t expect any of the injuries to linger heading into the postseason.
Boston, which is locked into the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs, hosts Atlanta on Sunday in its regular-season finale.
MAVERICKS: Dallas sat Kyrie Irving and four other regulars against Chicago in a game with draft implications, and with the Mavericks facing postseason elimination if they lose.
Irving was ruled out for Friday’s game to recover from a right foot injury. The others were Tim Hardaway Jr. because of left ankle soreness, Maxi Kleber because of a right hamstring injury recovery, and Josh Green and Christian Wood for rest.
With two games remaining, Dallas is a loss away from elimination for the final spot in the Western Conference play-in tournament – a year after going to the West finals.
Dallas’ decision to rest five rotation players comes with the Mavs and Bulls tied for the 10th-worst record in the NBA at 38-42.
Dallas gets to keep its first-round pick if it’s in the top 10. If it is 11th or lower, the picks goes to the New York Knicks as part of Dallas’ trade to acquire Kristaps Porzingis in 2019. The draft lottery next month will determine the final order.
The Bulls are locked in to the 10th seed for the final play-in spot in the East and will be without Zach LaVine because of left knee injury management and DeMar DeRozan and Patrick Beverley for rest.
Irving played in a 123-119 victory over Sacramento on Wednesday that kept alive Dallas’ hopes for the 10th seed. But Oklahoma City’s victory at Utah on Thursday pushed Dallas to the brink of elimination.
The only path to the postseason for Dallas would be winning both remaining games, and Oklahoma City losing to Memphis on Sunday.
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