Is Jaylen Brown playing tonight against Cleveland Cavaliers? Looking at Celtics forward's status for Game 1 (May 7)

The Boston Celtics listed forward Jaylen Brown as available for the marquee Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinals against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Tuesday.

The Cavaliers faced the prospect of an early playoff exit on Sunday, trailing the Orlando Magic by 18 points in the first half of Game 7.

Donovan Mitchell, however, was determined to rally the Cavs back with a strong second half. Following a 50-point performance in Game 6, Mitchell delivered 39 points in Game 7, propelling the Cavaliers to outscore the Magic by 22 points in the second half and secure a 106-94 victory.

Caris LeVert also contributed significantly, adding 15 points in what became the largest Game 7 comeback since the statistic began being tracked in the 1997-98 season.

The Boston Celtics are set to return to action on Tuesday after nearly a week's rest following their 4-1 series victory over the Miami Heat in the first round. However, the series did not come without its challenges, as starting center Kristaps Porzingis is expected to miss all of Round 2 due to a calf strain.

Despite this setback, the Celtics boast a strong lineup featuring two All-Star forwards, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, a formidable defensive backcourt with Derrick White and Jrue Holiday and a seasoned center, Al Horford, stepping in for Porzingis.

Boston also holds a 2-1 season series advantage over the Cavaliers, including two victories at home. With the pressure mounting, the Celtics are ready to leverage their experience and meet the challenge head-on.

The Celtics enter the second round of the NBA playoffs boasting the league's most efficient and dynamic offense. They rank fifth in scoring, averaging nearly 108 points per game during the postseason. Additionally, they are fifth in overall field-goal percentage and second in 3-point percentage.

The Celtics lead all playoff teams in 3-point field-goals made per game, averaging 15. On the defensive end, they are equally formidable, ranking second in points allowed at just over 92 points per game.

What happened to Jaylen Brown?

Jaylen Brown missed four of the Celtics' 12 games in April, leading up to the playoffs. He sat out one game due to a hip contusion. Additionally, Brown was sidelined for the Celtics' victory over the Washington Wizards on March 17 because of a sprained right ankle.

He also missed the game against the Chicago Bulls on March 23 and was unavailable for the April 5 matchup against the Sacramento Kings due to a left wrist injury. In total, he missed 12 games this season.