Jaylen Brown showed relentless effort both on the rebound and in the paint against the defending champions, demonstrating why he was nominated. Eastern Conference Player of the Week.
Brown delivered an exceptional offensive performance, but it was not enough to defeat the Denver Nuggets. Despite the CelticsLosing 115-109, Brown’s individual efforts significantly influenced the game, especially on prime time television. With Jayson Tatum struggling, Brown’s contributions staved off what could have been a much larger deficit.
There were plenty of mistakes, especially those involving Brown, which included seven missed free throws and several missed inside looks. But it’s unfair to put all the blame on him, even if he missed an open dunk opportunity. Live turnovers, missed shots, blown defensive coverages were all factors in the defeat.
Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla praised Brown for his aggressiveness and poise that powered the offense for most of the night.
“That’s the type of physicality that’s needed,” Coach Mazzulla told CLNS of Brown’s aggressiveness. “I thought he brought that to both ends of the court.”
As the team’s leader, Brown took ultimate responsibility for the loss, even going so far as to blame himself. He also sent a message to the Nuggets that if they were to meet again, things would be different.
“Too many mistakes,” Brown told CLNS of what cost the Celtics the game against the Nuggets. “It’s a good team, we have to take advantage of it. Sales figures. Free spins. Missing defensive missions. All of this we have to be better at, and it starts with me, it starts at the top, it starts with Jayson. [Tatum].”
Despite the different coverages thrown by Nikola Jokic, he still managed to achieve a triple-double. Brown, always eager to guard the better opponent, “felt like he should have guarded Jokic a little bit.”
With the playoffs approaching, this game had a playoff vibe. By the end of the game, Brown had an impressive performance, tallying a season-high 41 points to go along with two steals and four assists. He shot 16-29 from the field, including 2-7 from beyond the arc. Additionally, Brown grabbed a career-high 14 rebounds, scoring a career-high six offensive rebounds. Scoring 37.6 percent of Boston’s total points, the winger scored 25 of the Celtics’ 54 points in the paint.
After putting up seven points in the first quarter, the momentum changed dramatically with 10 minutes remaining in the second quarter. It started after Brown was called for a weak technical call after a bucket just minutes into the first quarter.
Trailing 36-30, Brown acknowledged redemption was needed after a missed mid-range jumper against Jamal Murray. On the next possession, he kicked it into high gear. Realizing that no one else was taking control, Brown decided to take charge himself.
Jaylen Brown, with the caption “Energy Shifter” in his Instagram bio, recently shared that his weight has increased, suggesting a corresponding improvement in his strength, as we’ve seen. Brown, with a seven-foot wingspan, grabbed a colossal offensive rebound in the corner from Peyton Watson, Zeke Nnaji and Justin Holiday, after a missed shot by Derrick White.
Then he executed a spin maneuver in the paint, facing not one, but two defenders. Although he missed the layup, Brown demonstrated his strength while facing Holiday. After several touches, Xavier Tillman returned the ball to Brown, who then took advantage of the opportunity, eventually converting it into an and-1 scoring opportunity despite two defenders.
Afterward, Brown was visibly full of energy, receiving plenty of cheers from the Celtics fans in attendance at the Ball Arena for the big game. With Jokic’s absence from the lineup, Brown appeared to capitalize on the size difference, especially playing alongside the experimental lineup changes orchestrated by Coach Mazzulla.
Although his back was stiff early in the second half, Brown credited the adrenaline rush to his success on the field.
“Before the game, my back was really sore,” Brown told CLNS after the game. “Once I got into the game, the adrenaline continued. I started to feel sore around the second half. Apart from that, the crowds, the adrenaline, all the pain and all that disappears.
As of now, Brown finished with 15 points in the second quarter, including six rebounds. While Brown and the C’s were really cold from downtown, he learned to attack downhill, including on Jokic in the paint with his left hand.
“Jaylen had a great game,” Mazzulla told CLNS. “I thought he answered the bell as far as offensive physicality and the ability to get to the free throw line. And the ability to finish through contact.
After the defensive stops, Brown was already sprinting down the field, ready to receive a pass from Jayson Tatum. Even though the result didn’t favor the Celtics much in this case, I really wish they could have exploited more opportunities in transition, an area Denver has historically struggled in.
When talking about transition, Brown talked about the importance of capitalizing on such opportunities and remaining aggressive, particularly how the Nuggets kept Tatum out of sync.
“We need to find different places to help him [Tatum] but also when you get these opportunities you have to be more aggressive. Transition, opportunities when they encounter disparities, Brown said.
Above all, it was Brown’s hustle and aggressive play inside the paint that left the most significant impression on me. Although the Celtics are often criticized for their reliance on three-point shooting, Brown stood out by frequently running coast-to-coast, taking advantage of defensive stops. In fact, 58.8 percent of his points came in the paint, with 65 percent of those coming from unassisted two-point attempts.
Despite missing several free throw attempts, Brown ensured he felt good about his shooting rhythm, which allowed him to reach a season high in points.
“I felt good,” Brown told Celtics reporter Abby Chin. “I went up there and shot it. I felt the rhythm. Sometimes it’s a little short and maybe the height difference. I felt good shooting the ball, and I go up there and shoot it the same way.
A notable example occurred with 4:16 left in the final quarter when he beat Michael Porter Jr. for a basket and a chance.
A game with such ups and downs, Brown and the Celtics cut the deficit to 109-106 in the fourth quarter, despite trailing by 12 points earlier. Even though the Celtics lost the regular season series to Denver 2-0, is Jaylen Brown’s emergence a reason not to panic? I mean, he’s been masterful the last few games, averaging 26.3 points on 53.2 percent from the field.
If the rest of the team was on top, and maybe there weren’t so many mistakes, this match could have been a lot different. There is no need to panic, this match could have been won, but it was lost with several missed shots and chances. Above all, Boston remains the favorite to win it all.
