Celtics star Jaylen Brown received injections in right knee, coach Joe Mazzulla says

BOSTON (AP) — Boston Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla on Sunday confirmed a report that Jaylen Brown received injections during the week to help his troublesome right knee that’s limited his playing time the past month.

It was first reported by ESPN that Brown received pain management injections. The reigning Finals MVP sat out Friday’s victory over Charlotte and missed Sunday’s regular season finale win in the rematch against the Hornets.

“Just part of the rehab process for him to get back to be his absolute best,” Mazzulla said Sunday morning, when asked if Brown got any shots in his knee. “He’s continuing to take care of himself and put himself in great position to be ready for the postseason.”

In Boston’s run to the championship last spring, Brown was their main defender against the opponents’ top scorer.

Mazzulla said it was the player’s decision to sit out. In doing so, he became ineligible for postseason awards because he’ll be short of the league’s threshold for total games played.

“It was more, he makes that call,” Mazzulla said. “He knows his body better than anybody. He knows exactly where he’s at. He knows where he needs to get to in order to be at his best for what matters most. The most important thing is trusting him.”

Brown’s minutes had been decreased the last month or so as he tried to work through the injury.

When asked if he was confident Brown would be ready for the start of the playoffs, Mazzulla said: “A hundred percent.”

Celtics guard Payton Pritchard, who scored 34 points in Sunday's 93-86 victory, said the team is ready to go with or without Brown.

“If he’s able to play, we go ahead and play. We know how to play with him. Obviously, he’s one of our guys,” Pritchard said. “If he doesn’t, guys are going to have to step up and fill those in different areas. Our team is well-balanced and very deep.”

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Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown (7) loses control of the ball against Phoenix Suns forward Ryan Dunn (0) during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Friday, April 4, 2025, in Boston. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

New York Knicks' OG Anunoby, left, and Boston Celtics' Jaylen Brown, right, fight for the ball during the second half of an NBA basketball game, Tuesday, April 8, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Pamela Smith)

Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown celebrates after a basket against the Phoenix Suns during the second half of an NBA basketball game, Friday, April 4, 2025, in Boston. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

A Ukrainian drone strike killed one person and wounded three others in the Russian city of Voronezh, local officials said Sunday.

A young woman died overnight in a hospital intensive care unit after debris from a drone fell on a house during the attack on Saturday, regional Gov. Alexander Gusev said on Telegram.

Three other people were wounded and more than 10 apartment buildings, private houses and a high school were damaged, he said, adding that air defenses shot down 17 drones over Voronezh. The city is home to just over 1 million people and lies some 250 kilometers (155 miles) from the Ukrainian border.

The attack came the day after Russia bombarded Ukraine with hundreds of drones and dozens of missiles overnight into Friday, killing at least four people in the capital Kyiv, according to Ukrainian officials.

For only the second time in the nearly four-year war, Russia used a powerful new hypersonic missile that struck western Ukraine in a clear warning to Kyiv and NATO.

The intense barrage and the launch of the nuclear-capable Oreshnik missile followed reports of major progress in talks between Ukraine and its allies on how to defend the country from further aggression by Moscow if a U.S.-led peace deal is struck.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Saturday in his nightly address that Ukrainian negotiators “continue to communicate with the American side.”

Chief negotiator Rustem Umerov was in contact with U.S. partners Saturday, he said.

Separately, Ukraine’s General Staff said Russia targeted Ukraine with 154 drones overnight into Sunday and 125 were shot down.

Follow the AP’s coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine

This photo provided by the Ukrainian Security Service on Friday, Jan. 9, 2026, shows a fragment believed to be a part of a Russian Oreshnik intermediate range hypersonic ballistic missile that hit the Lviv region. (Ukrainian Security Service via AP)

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy, second left, listens to British Defense Secretary John Healey during their meeting in Kyiv, Ukraine, Friday, Jan. 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Danylo Antoniuk)