Jayson Tatum felt like he owed Jaylen Brown after elbowing him in a collision that has forced him to miss multiple games with a facial fracture.
“I feel like I need to buy him a car or something,” Tatum told reporters after Friday's win over the Charlotte Hornets. “First time all season me and him both crash from the corner, and I end up elbowing him in the face. Obviously, I feel terrible, a freak accident. But whether it’s a mask or buying him a car, I think I got it.”
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Brown was informed of those comments ahead of Sunday's game vs. the Memphis Grizzlies.
"He said that?" Brown asked with a smile. "Nobody told me this. I like that. That'll be great."
Tatum might come to regret his promise as Brown hilariously called him out for it during the press conference.
"Jayson Tatum. I'm getting a car?" Brown asked his Boston Celtics teammate. "He lyin'. He lyin' for sure."
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The expectation is Brown's injury will keep him out until after the All-Star break. The 26-year-old is unsure if he'll play in the All-Star Game, stating that he considers himself "day-to-day." But he doesn't foresee missing many more games or the C's.
"It's going to take more than a Jayson Tatum elbow to take me out," Brown said.
The Celtics have three games remaining before the break: Sunday vs. Memphis, Tuesday at Milwaukee, and Wednesday vs. Detroit.