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If you’re expecting anything to change with Jaylen Brown and his continued recovery from a hand laceration, don’t hold your breath.

Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla indicated in his weekly call with 98.5 The Sports Hub’s Zolak & Bertrand that, in terms of his lineups and minutes, he is proceeding with Brown as if there are no physical limits for him. Brown has felt to be on the edge of aggravating the cut on his right hand throughout the series, and on Monday night in Game 2, he appeared to favor the injury shortly before exiting the game in the fourth quarter.

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  Apr 18, 2023; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown (7) looks down to his bandaged fingers as the Celtics take on the Atlanta Hawks in the third quarter during game two of the 2023 NBA playoffs at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports

• Both Brown and Mazzulla said after the game that Brown didn’t ask to come out of the game, and Mazzulla added that he intended to take Brown out at that time, regardless.

  Brown played 35:57 in Game 2, second-most only to Jayson Tatum. And Mazzulla told Zolak & Bertrand that he’s happy with both his workload and his performance as it is.

  “I think he’s played pretty well,” Mazzulla said. “I’ll consider just playing whoever we need to play, and however long we need to play them, to win the game, and right now I like what [Brown’s] giving us at both ends of the floor.”

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  BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS – APRIL 18: Jaylen Brown #7 of the Boston Celtics defends a shot from Trae Young #11 of the Atlanta Hawks during the second quarter of Game Two of the Eastern Conference First Round Playoffs between the Boston Celtics and the Atlanta Hawks at TD Garden on April 18, 2023 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)

• The cut didn’t seem to affect Brown’s production on either offense or defense. He scored 18 points while shooting 50 percent overall, including 2-for-4 on threes. He also made three steals and two blocks, and cut his turnovers down from six in Game 1 to four in Game 2.

  If Mazzulla has been holding Brown back, there hasn’t been an overt indication of that during the actual games. And it sounds like Brown won’t be held back going forward.

  Brown said after Game 2 that his hand is “doing good” and “getting better each and every day.” It certainly must sting to make physical impact on it, as it seemed when Brown went crashing to the floor after leaping to block a shot late in the game. But the most important thing is not to re-open the wound, which Brown said happened in Game 1.

• JB SAID GET THAT OUTTA HERE!!! pic.twitter.com/i0oNw69pBU

  — Celtics on NBC Sports Boston (@NBCSCeltics) April 18, 2023

• Brown and the Celtics are headed to Atlanta, where they’ll take on the Hawks in Game 3 on Friday night at 7 p.m. ET from State Farm Arena. The C’s have a 2-0 lead and, frankly, should come back to Boston having clinched the series. Even if Brown is limited.

  Click here for complete Boston Celtics coverage at 985TheSportsHub.com.

  Matt Dolloff is a writer and podcaster for 985TheSportsHub.com. Any opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of 98.5 The Sports Hub, Beasley Media Group, or any subsidiaries. Have a news tip, question, or comment for Matt? Yell at him on Twitter @mattdolloff and follow him on Instagram @realmattdolloff. Check out all of Matt’s content here.

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