The Boston Celtics received a significant boost Saturday when Jaylen Brown was fully cleared to play in Sunday night’s Game 4 against the Philadelphia 76ers, erasing concerns over the ankle injury he sustained in Friday’s hard-fought victory.
Brown rolled his left ankle in the fourth quarter of Game 3 while driving in transition and stepping on the foot of Philadelphia rookie VJ Edgecombe. He went down visibly uncomfortable with just over five minutes remaining, yet he stayed in the game, hit his free throws, and helped the Celtics secure a 108-100 win on the road to take a 2-1 series lead.
The five-time All-Star kept his postgame comments brief and optimistic. “It’ll be alright,” Brown told reporters, and the team’s completely clean injury report on Saturday proved him right. Along with guard Derrick White—who absorbed a neck hit in the opening minute of Game 3 but never left the floor—Brown carries no injury designation heading into Game 4.
For a Celtics team already one win away from seizing firm control of the first-round series, Brown’s availability changes the outlook dramatically. Boston entered the postseason as a top contender in the East, and having both Brown and Jayson Tatum healthy and productive gives them a formidable duo at full strength. In Game 3, the pair combined for 50 points, with Brown adding seven rebounds, four assists, and three blocks in 40 minutes while Tatum contributed efficient three-point shooting in his continued return from last season’s Achilles surgery.
Brown’s late-game surge was pivotal. He scored eight straight points to help push Boston ahead 96-92, creating breathing room against a Sixers team that had gained momentum with a Game 2 upset win in Boston. The Celtics’ defense also limited Philadelphia’s supporting cast effectively, even as Tyrese Maxey dropped 31 points.
White’s neck issue, meanwhile, proved to be a non-factor. He confirmed afterward that he was fine and remains fully available, giving Boston continuity in its backcourt and defensive schemes.
The contrast with the 76ers’ injury situation is stark. Philadelphia enters the must-win Game 4 with a complicated health picture. Center Joel Embiid remains doubtful for the second straight game after undergoing an emergency appendectomy on April 9. While he has resumed some on-court work and portions of practice, he has yet to return to game action. Coach Nick Nurse has expressed hope, noting, “He wants to play, and we want him to play,” but historical data suggests the typical recovery timeline for an appendectomy could stretch close to a potential Game 7.
Veteran forward Kelly Oubre Jr. has been added to the injury report as questionable with right adductor soreness, while Maxey is available despite a right finger tendon strain that requires a splint. The Sixers need a victory on Sunday to avoid falling into a 3-1 deficit—a hole that only three NBA franchises have historically overcome in a best-of-seven series.
With Brown’s ankle scare now firmly in the rearview mirror, the Celtics head into Game 4 in Philadelphia at full strength and with home-court advantage restored in the series. A win would put Boston firmly in the driver’s seat, potentially setting up a closeout opportunity at home in Game 5.
Brown’s resilience in Game 3—playing through the initial discomfort and delivering a complete stat line—underscored his value as a two-way force. For a Celtics squad looking to turn a competitive series into a commanding lead, this “bombshell” injury update could not have come at a better time. Sunday night’s matchup now tilts even more heavily in Boston’s favor, as they aim to capitalize on their health advantage and depth against a shorthanded Philadelphia side.