For all of the discourse surrounding Jaylen Brown’s ailing right knee, the Celtics star wing let his play do the talking on Sunday evening at TD Garden.
The 2024 NBA Finals MVP only scored 16 points in Boston’s 103-86 Game 1 over the Magic, but the manner in which he generated offense stood as a welcome sight to concerned Celtics fans — headlined by a two-handed slam he threw down near the tail end of the third quarter.
Considering that it had been nearly two weeks since he last played in a game — coupled with the added concerns after ESPN reported that Brown needed painkilling injections in that knee — Brown’s health stood as one of the primary concerns for a Celtics team poised to orchestrate another deep playoff run this spring.