Dr. Flynn: Examining Jaylen Brown's hamstring injury and possible return timetable vs. Sixers

Jaylen Brown exited the Celtics Game 7 win over the Milwaukee Bucks with a right hamstring injury late in the first half.

“I just did a move, and it just popped a little bit, pulled it a little bit, but it’ll be all right," Brown said after the game.

Brown was announced by the team as available for return and was initially riding a bike courtside to keep warm. However, as the Celtics maintained a comfortable lead in the second half, Brown retired to the bench with a wrap around his leg. This was an indication that he would not make a return.

Will Jaylen Brown be ready to play on a short turnaround Monday against the 76ers?

Brown’s injury is likely a hamstring strain. The hamstring muscles are located on the back of the thigh. Two of their major functions are flexing the knee and stopping the knee from hyperextending with running and changing direction, both very important on the basketball court.

There is a great deal of variability in returning to play after a hamstring strain and it mostly comes down to how severe the injury to the muscle is. Brown called his injury a "grade 1" strain after the game Saturday, indicating a mild stretching injury to the muscle. However, since he also said that it “popped a little,” there is the possibility of a higher grade injury that involves tearing of the muscle. The physical signs of a hamstring tear include bruising and pain, but it sounds like the Celtics may be considering an MRI today to evaluate the true degree of injury.

If Brown’s injury is a simple grade 1 strain, he may be a bit sorer today, but there’s a good chance that he can play Monday night. But hamstring injuries are tricky - we’ve seen how limiting they can be with recent injuries to Patriots Rob Gronkowski and Matthew Slater. I usually don’t get an MRI to evaluate the degree of hamstring injury unless I suspect a very high-grade tear. In this case, I suspect that the reasoning behind Brown’s MRI is more related to statements like this:

"Massage, rest, ice, all of the above," Brown said of his treatment plan. "I hate taking pills. Like, I probably haven’t taken a pill in over 10 years. But they’ve got me taking anti-inflammatories and stuff like that. So just whatever it takes. Because I wouldn’t miss this next series for the world.”

The Celtics obviously want the talented second-year guard on the court as soon as possible. However, they need to make sure that he doesn’t rush himself back to quickly and potentially threaten his ability to play deeper in the series.