Jaylen Brown ruled out against Suns

Jaylen Brown will not play against the Suns, according to the team’s official injury report, due to a right knee contusion. Jayson Tatum, who is recovering from an Achilles injury, was the only other Celtic listed on the injury report.

The Suns will be without Devin Booker, Dillon Brooks, Jordan Goodwin, Cole Anthony and Haywood Highsmith, who has not played this season. Grayson Allen is a game-time decision with an ankle injury.

Without Brown, head coach Joe Mazzulla has multiple options to replace his star player in his starting lineup. Payton Pritchard, who moved to the bench at the NBA trade deadline, could earn his first start since Feb. 1. In five games without Brown this season, Pritchard is averaging 26.4 points on 50.5 percent shooting with 8.2 assists.

A double big lineup could be in play for Mazzulla, who has Jordan Walsh, Baylor Scheierman and Nikola Vucevic at his disposal.

Tuesday will be the sixth game Brown has missed this season, serving as one of two players in the NBA’s MVP conversation who have played at least 50 games this season. Due to a 65-game minimum to qualify for end of the year awards, many star players are at risk of becoming ineligible to win MVP. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who won the award a year ago, is six games away from losing eligibility, while Nikola Jokic, who is a three-time MVP, can miss only one more game before he is eliminated from contention.

Cade Cunningham, who has led the Pistons to the first seed in the Eastern Conference, has played 50 games – the second most among MVP candidates behind Brown – this season.

The Celtics are playing the first half of a back-to-back Tuesday night, heading to Denver for a nationally televised game against the Nuggets. Three back-to-backs are left for Boston after its Phoenix and Denver road trip.