Jaylen Brown said put some respect on my name in win over the Lakers
Just a few nights ago, Jaylen Brown was making headlines for the wrong reasons. His two free throws that would have given the Boston Celtics the lead late in the game against the Knicks at the TD Garden this past Thursday promoted Brown to own up to his mistakes.
“I’ve just got to be better, to be honest,” Brown said postgame as the C’s extended their losing streak at the time to three games. Knowing what the former California guard has done throughout his career, there was no question that he would have the opportunity once again to capture his revenge. His mental toughness to overcome an 8/22 shooting display and two critical missed free throws just a few nights before is a sign of a winner.
That is what superstars do. They don’t shy away from adversity; instead, they embrace it. Boston is 18-5 this season when Brown shoots over 50% from the floor.
In primetime on national television against Boston’s fiercest rivals, Brown again made his statement as one of the best young guards in the entire association. Brown netted a team-high 37 points, knocking down clutch shot after clutch shot, and even putting the demons behind him by hitting a game-tying free throw with just four ticks remaining in regulation.
A Hollywood screenwriter could not have scripted it better if they had tried. Brown even pieced together this performance after collecting his fifth foul within the first minute of the fourth quarter. There was no way of knowing he was one foul away from departing the game down the stretch with the aggressiveness he was playing with. The former No. 3 overall selection sent a message to the rest of the NBA with an outing defined by sheer grit.
After Al Horford hit the side of the backboard with a three with just seven seconds left on the clock, it looked like the Boston Celtics were going to drop its fourth straight game for the first time all season. Brown swooped in past former teammate Dennis Schroder to snatch the rebound, and put it back in to bring the game within one before the game-tying free throw. Although the foul may have been called late, Brown’s utter will to fly in for the game-saving rebound
The 26-year-old guard owned up to his mistakes and came up big for his team when they needed him the most down the stretch. Brown went 7/10 in the fourth quarter and overtime, scoring 20 points during that stretch including a gutsy 27-foot pull-up in overtime to propel the Cs to a six-point advantage with just over four minutes remaining. Brown trusted his work, and while that three was no doubt questionable shot selection, the 26-year-old had something to prove.
Brown telling the world why he is a cold-blooded killer:
He turned the ball over just once in the final 17 minutes of the game while going 5/6 from the charity stripe. This was not only a critical victory for Boston during a midst of a rut, but for Brown, this was simply a reassurance of what he already knew. Julius Randle was messing with the wrong player when he laughed at Brown as the Knicks pulling away at the end of regulation.
It was not just the fact that he was at the line with four seconds left in the contest, but the amount of time it took before he hoisted the ball at the rim presented him with the chance to overthink his game-deciding shot. None of that mattered, and Brown stepped to the line
From a right handed drive over Thomas Bryant to a left hand finish in traffic to bring the game within five points late in the fourth, Brown was sensational for the Boston Celtics during the moments when the Lakers had the chance to pull away.
His down game against the Knicks was merely a blip in the radar during a stretch of games where the former Golden Bear has been sensational for Boston as one of the NBA’s nine players who have netted over 26 points per game and seven rebounds in the past 15 games. Next up for Brown and the C’s is a matchup back in primetime against the Nets. The last time Brown laced it up against Brooklyn, he dropped a game-high 34 points on the road while collecting 10 rebounds in the process, outdueling Kevin Durant in double-digit triumph.
Jaylen Brown responded to struggles by propelling the Boston Celtics against the Lakers
There was never a doubt in Brown’s mind when he came to the Garden on Saturday night. He knows what kind of player he is, and the impact he can have on any game on any given night. Brown was longing to make a difference right off the bat, he got himself into foul trouble.
“Life is about how you respond,” Brown said after the overtime thriller. The young superstar demonstrated exactly how he has responded to trials and tribulations throughout his career, through resolve, and trust in the work that he has put in among the best in the league.
If you have not placed Brown among the best guard in the league by now, it is about time.