Is Jaylen Brown playing tonight? Latest injury update for Celtics vs. Nuggets

The Boston Celtics will travel to Ball Arena to face the Denver Nuggets on Thursday night in a star-studded affair that many believe will be this year’s NBA Finals matchup.

When these two teams first met earlier this season on Jan. 19, it was one of the best regular season games in recent memory, with the Nuggets winning a 102-100 thriller in front of Boston’s home crowd.

Sitting at 48-13, the Celtics boast the league’s best record and have looked like the most dominant team all season. But if they want to prove their success will translate to the postseason, they must defeat Denver, arguably their most significant threat to winning a title this year.

However, they will be hard-pressed to beat the reigning NBA Champions if they’re not at full strength, and All-Star Jaylen Brown’s status for Thursday is in question.

Is Jaylen Brown playing tonight? Latest injury update vs. Nuggets

Brown is questionable on the NBA’s official injury report ahead of tonight’s contest with a Sacroiliac strain, which can cause back pain and is a new ailment for the dynamic wing, who last missed a game on Feb. 14 against the Brooklyn Nets when he sat out due to a right shoulder contusion.

MassLive’s Brian Robb reported how Brown himself said he remains unsure about his status during shootaround earlier on Thursday and will see how it feels during his pregame warmup before deciding whether he can play.

Averaging 22.4 points, 5.4 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 1.1 steals per game while shooting a career-high 50 percent from the floor, Brown’s absence would be a brutal blow for a Celtics team that has won 11 of their last 12 contests and is looking to make a statement against the Nuggets.

While beating Denver on their home court would put the rest of the league on notice, the Celtics will take a cautious approach with Brown at this juncture in the season as they look to ensure the team will be healthy come playoff time.