Recent off a gritty win over the Houston Rockets on Sunday evening, the Boston Celtics traveled throughout Texas to tackle the Dallas Mavericks for the second evening of a back-to-back on Monday.
Ready there was Luka Doncic. The Slovenian famous person returned from a three-game absence this previous Wednesday in a loss to the Los Angeles Lakers, however as a result of their contest in opposition to the Golden State Warriors being postponed, Dallas was using a four-day break heading into their sport in opposition to Boston.
Boston ended the evening on prime, and on the core of their 119-110 win was the battle of Jaylen Brown vs. Doncic.
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From the soar, Brown was prepared.
“No,” Brown mentioned when requested if he requested to protect Doncic. “However I really feel like I’m one of many higher defenders within the league, if not the [best] defender within the league, so it’s a problem that I really feel like must be bestowed on me. So, no matter evening, my physique is in a special form. I’m guarding the most effective gamers night-to-night.”
Doncic ended the sport with 33 factors, nevertheless it took him 30 makes an attempt to get there, as he shot simply 12-of-30 from the sector and 2-of-8 from three-point vary.
The Mavericks star is without doubt one of the most dynamic offensive gamers within the league. Dallas’ heliocentric offense runs with him on the heart, and whereas Brown’s strain wasn’t 100% efficient, it wore on Doncic.
Brown picked him up at half courtroom, fought by means of screens, and made certain to ship him proper into Al Horford or whoever was ready within the paint for the Celtics when the Mavericks ran a pick-n-roll.
As the sport went on, and Doncic bought an increasing number of pissed off with the officers, the back-and-forth grew to become extra pronounced.
By the top of the fourth quarter, as Dallas was making an attempt to maintain a horse within the race, the 2 stars took over the courtroom. From the 5:31 to three:54 marks within the fourth quarter, they made play after play.
A momentum-gathering Doncic step-back three. A silencing Brown middy over the outstretched hand of Doncic. A pair of Doncic free throws. A Brown and-one triple within the nook to place Boston up by 11. An enormous Brown block on Maxi Kleber that stuffed an virtually sure-fire dunk.
Brown bought the ultimate blow of that trade, serving to propel the Celtics to victory, and he additionally bought the most important eyebrow raiser over Doncic on the evening.
With 5:29 to go within the second quarter, Brown drove proper with Doncic, working with him step-for-step. However then he in the reduction of. And Doncic went tumbling to the courtroom with the pressure of a Redwood that simply bought chopped down by a lumberjack.
“I noticed that video,” Doncic mentioned. “I can’t lie, that was very nice.”
The play was so ferocious that American Airways Middle confirmed the replay on their jumbotron — the replay of their very own participant getting crossed up.
“That’s loopy,” Brown mentioned. “Any individual must get fired in the event that they did that.”
However Brown nonetheless praised Doncic for his willingness to protect.
“Simply being aggressive. It occurs. It’s part of basketball,” Brown mentioned of the crossover. “I respect him for getting on the market and making an attempt. Even within the second half, as an alternative of making an attempt to cover him, they tried to place him on me. And he bought some stops towards the top of the sport. So, respect to respect to him, nevertheless it’s a part of basketball. Simply come out and play arduous.”
Brown and Tatum each completed the evening with elite two-way performances underneath their belt. However extra importantly, a Celtics win.
