With Jaylen Brown officially ruled out for Tuesday night due to a right knee contusion, the Boston Celtics (37-19) will have to keep their Western Conference trip rolling without one of the main engines behind their recent surge.

Boston enters the matchup against the Phoenix Suns (33-25) playing some of its best basketball of the season, leaning on a balanced attack, improved defensive intensity, and the kind of depth that has allowed them to stack wins even when facing different game scripts. Still, losing Brown removes a major two-way presence who has consistently set the tone with his scoring, physical defense, and leadership during this stretch.

The Celtics have leaned into their identity during this road swing - crisp ball movement, strong perimeter shooting, and a defense capable of dictating tempo - and that formula will be tested a bit more without Brown in the lineup.

With a back-to-back looming in Denver on Wednesday, Boston clearly opted for caution, prioritizing long-term health over pushing their All-Star through a midseason grind.

Phoenix, meanwhile, is dealing with an even longer injury report.

The Suns will be without star guard Devin Booker (right hip strain) and starting wing Dillon Brooks (left hand fracture), removing two major rotation pieces. Reserve guard Jordan Goodwin is also out with a calf strain, while Grayson Allen is questionable with a knee issue. Haywood Highsmith and Cole Anthony won’t be available either, leaving Phoenix scrambling to find consistent scoring.

Without Booker in particular, the Suns have struggled to generate offense, dropping five of their last seven games and looking out of rhythm for long stretches. A projected starting group of Ryan Dunn, Conor Gillespie, Jalen Green, Royce O’Neale, and Mark Williams combined for just 77 points in a loss to Portland over the weekend - a snapshot of how difficult scoring has become without their primary creator.

Even without Brown, Boston still carries momentum into the matchup thanks to its depth and recent form. The Celtics have shown an ability to control games with defense and execution, and that gives them a clear pathway to keep their road trip rolling against a depleted Phoenix squad.

All told, Tuesday night presents a different kind of test for Boston - maintaining its rhythm without one of its stars - while continuing to take advantage of an opponent still searching for answers amid mounting injuries.

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Tom Carroll is a contributor for Roundtable, with boots-on-the-ground coverage of all things Boston sports. He's a senior digital content producer for WEEI.com, and a native of Lincoln, RI.