The Clippers' injury troubles continued to mount Sunday afternoon at TD Garden, where starting forward Derrick Jones Jr. suffered a scary-looking right knee injury during their 121-118 loss to the Boston Celtics.

The 28-year-old forward had to be helped off the court after colliding with Celtics guard Jaylen Brown while diving for a loose ball in the second quarter, and he was later spotted watching the game's conclusion from the tunnel on crutches.

Tomer Azarly (@TomerAzarly) on X Not good. Derrick Jones Jr. is watching the end of Clippers-Celtics from the tunnel with crutches.

Despite the mounting adversity facing the Clippers, who now sit at 4-9 in the Western Conference, veteran guard James Harden remained resolute in his approach to the team's latest setback. "Tough, you know what I mean," Harden said after the game, where he scored 37 points including 32 in the second half. "So, you just try to continue to keep your head on straight, focus on what you can control, then go out there and just try to come away with wins, and hopefully guys will start coming back, you know, sooner than later."

The Injury Looked Bad

Jones Jr.'s injury occurred when Brown's arm struck his leg during a scramble for a loose ball, causing the Clippers forward to grab his knee and roll in pain on the floor before slowly getting to his feet.

He was barely able to put weight on the leg as he was helped to the locker room, and Brown was called for a foul on the play.

ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) on X Clippers forward Derrick Jones Jr. needed to be carried off the court after suffering an apparent knee injury following a collision with Jaylen Brown. Prayers up for DJJ 🙏

Coach Tyronn Lue said after the game that the team wouldn't know the severity of Jones' injury until he gets reevaluated, but the sight of him on crutches late in the contest was far from encouraging for Los Angeles.

The injury couldn't have come at a worse time for the Clippers, who have already been without star forward Kawhi Leonard for seven straight games due to ankle and foot sprains.

Guard Bradley Beal also suffered a season-ending hip fracture earlier this month, leaving Los Angeles dangerously thin across the roster.

How the Clippers Can Adjust

With Jones Jr. potentially sidelined for an extended period, the Clippers will need to lean heavily on their veteran role players and emerging young talent to fill the void.

Veteran forward Nicolas Batum, 36, figures to see increased minutes after appearing in all 13 games this season and providing steady two-way play off the bench. The Frenchman has shown he can still contribute, averaging 5.8 points while shooting 43.3 percent from three-point range.

Guard Bogdan Bogdanović should also see expanded opportunities to provide perimeter scoring and playmaking alongside Harden. The real intrigue, however, lies with the Clippers' young reserves who have recently shown flashes of promise.

Grant "Money" Mona (@Gmona48) on X Derrick Jones Jr. has just been so good this season.👀 Gets the offensive rebound and putback. Clippers playing super tough so far against OKC.

Second-year guard Cam Christie recently scored a career-high 17 points against Phoenix and has continued to contribute in limited minutes.

Rookie Kobe Sanders, who grew up in San Diego, has impressed with his energy and defensive intensity in his first NBA action, while third-year guard Jordan Miller exploded for 22 points off the bench against Denver before suffering his own hamstring injury Sunday.

The Clippers will need contributions from all corners of their depleted roster as they try to stay afloat in a brutal Western Conference.

With Harden leading the charge and averaging 26 points per game this season, LA will hope their leader's optimism can carry them through yet another challenging stretch.