Simply seconds into Recreation 1, Jaylen Brown needed to set the tone for the Celtics first-round collection in opposition to the Hawks, and hopefully, the remainder of what Boston believes will probably be a protracted playoff run. Proper after the tip, Brown stole a routine cross from Trae Younger to Dejounte Murray after which overpowered John Collins on the opposite finish.
“I used to be going loopy in my head. I used to be screaming like, ‘there you go. That’s what I’m speaking about,’” Marcus Sensible mentioned of Brown’s assertion play. “Jaylen can do numerous issues, not simply rating the ball. He’s an important two-way participant and we’re going to wish that out of him. And to see how he was locked in and able to go, it was thrilling.”
He’s nonetheless sporting a masks after a pleasant hearth elbow from Jayson Tatum over two months in the past, however as sturdy as he’s performed during the last two months, possibly it’s right here to remain. Brown would end the sport as Boston’s excessive scorer with 29 factors (12-of-23 from the sphere) and three assists.
After lacking the ultimate two video games of the common season with a land laceration, he picked up proper the place he left off. After main Crew LeBron in scoring within the All-Star Recreation, Brown mounted an All-NBA marketing campaign within the ultimate 20-plus video games averaging 27 factors and over six rebounds and 4 assists a recreation.
Brown admitted after the Recreation 1 win that his finger remains to be a problem. “It’s a relentless adjustment ensuring I get a superb grip on the ball,” Brown mentioned. “I had six turnovers tonight, so I positively acquired to wash that up.” In the course of the recreation, he left for the locker room briefly when the minimize break up open. He obtained 5 stitches on the finger and missed apply throughout early postseason prep.
“He was making an attempt to determine the best way to play with it at first. He needed to change his Bandaid, I imagine,” head coach Joe Mazzulla mentioned. “I believed he performed nicely. I believed his shot choice was good. I believed he was intentional on the defensive finish. I believed he did an important job on being locked in on each ends of the ground.”
It had been 303 days because the Celtics misplaced Recreation 6 of The NBA Finals on the parquet ground. That playoff run is formally within the rearview with this postseason now in full swing. It took an 82-game marathon of an everyday season to get right here and this staff is aware of all too nicely that one steal is only a steal and one win is only a win.
“Every recreation is its personal story. We count on to get their finest shot subsequent recreation. Can’t take a staff without any consideration,” Brown mentioned. “We allowed them to get just a little extra snug within the second half. I count on the subsequent recreation for them to be just a little extra ready, so we acquired to be just a little extra ready as nicely.”
What is going to hopefully be a relentless all through these subsequent few weeks and months is their mindset. After just a few speedbumps tripped them up through the yr (that finally value them the general #1 seed), Brown understands the urgency of the second.
“It’s a good time of the yr. It’s the time we’ve been enthusiastic about, ready round for. It was extraordinarily necessary to set the tone right here on our residence ground opening up the playoffs. I believed we acquired off to an important begin within the first half. Second half, we took our foot off the gasoline just a little bit, however we simply gotta proceed and play basketball for 48 minutes and proceed to construct good habits all through the playoffs.”
