Jaylen Brown did not suit up for the Boston Celtics’ Thursday matchup against the Washington Wizards. The 29-year-old guard’s absence was illness-related, according to the Celtics, and his status for Friday’s game against the LA Lakers is unclear.Brown had played in all of Boston’s 21 games before the game against the Wizards. He leads the team with 29.0 points per game and ranks sixth in league scoring.When asked to provide an update on Brown’s status, “I’m not a doctor. Sorry, I have no idea,” coach Joe Mazzulla said.It’s very possible that 2024 NBA Finals MVP will go through a late medical checkup to determine his status. Since it’s a back-to-back game, there may be more movement on the IR before tipoff.In his absence, the responsibility for generating offense has shifted to Derrick White and Payton Pritchard. The Celtics’ lineup was able to dominate against the Wizards, who have struggled overall this season. They handed Washington its worst loss of the season, 146-101, to claim their third straight victory. Boston has now won eight of its last ten, taking games from teams built very differently from one another.They will be aiming to close their three‑home‑game streak on a high note before hitting the road to face the Eastern Conference’s top teams, the Raptors and Pistons. Although Jaylen Brown should be fine if cleared by the medical team, it’s certainly something both the team and the player will be mindful of.Jaylen Brown stats vs. LA LakersJaylen Brown has played against the Lakers 16 times, winning 10 and losing six. He has averaged 19.8 points, 6.5 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game. The first time he faced the purple and gold was in the 2016 113-107 win, where he scored 12 points.Last season, he played both games, scoring 17 points in the road defeat and 31 points in the home win. The Lakers and Celtics have ended the regular-season series at 1-1 every year since the 2017 season, except for 2022-23, when the Celtics won both matchups.