Jaylen Brown delivers simple, game-changing self-message in Celtics' win vs. Nets

Brooklyn -- It was a tale of two halves for Jaylen Brown on Tuesday. The former Finals MVP was only on the floor for 10:27 of the first 24 minutes. After the intermission, he took over.

The four-time All-Star entered the break with six points and three turnovers. "I was just playing like [expletive] in the first half, honestly," said Brown post-game.

In the third quarter, Joe Mazzulla couldn't take him off the floor. The Boston Celtics' star wing erupted for 17 points. He buried four of eight shots and attacked downhill, earning seven free throws. He was perfect at the foul line.

Between his scoring and an assist on a Derrick White floater, the former All-NBA Second Team selection factored into 19 of his team's 27 points that period.

Preceding that production was a simple reminder.

"Sometimes, you just overthink it, and it's just simple plays," expressed Brown after the Celtics' 113-99 win. "I'm trying to pass the ball too much and things like that, turning it over, just thinking. Just play basketball, that's what it comes down to. And once I told myself to relax, things flowed a little bit better, but at the end of the day, it's just basketball."

In the final frame, he put six points on the board and again found White for two more. That represented one-third of the visitors' 24-point tally in a closing frame that was a rock fight.

Impressively, Boston held Brooklyn to 14 points in the last 12 minutes. The hosts only had four field goals in the final quarter of a loss that drops them to 2-12, including 0-7 at home. Meanwhile, the Celtics, now 8-7, are over .500 for the first time this season.

Jaylen Brown assesses his uneven performance

The nine-year veteran finished with a game-high 29 points. He shot 9/19 [47.4 percent] from the field. That includes drilling three of the seven threes he hoisted [42.9 percent]. He also went 8/10 at the free-throw line, adding to his efficiency.

Brown also registered four rebounds and as many assists. Furthermore, while Derrick White was the star on defense, the former played an essential role in holding the Nets under 100.

It's also true that he had eight turnovers. That nearly accounted for half of Boston's total [20]. Brooklyn struggled mightily in the half-court. However, the hosts parlayed those giveaways into 21 points. That was crucial to them keeping this contest competitive.

After the victory, Brown assessed his performance.

"I just took a minute for me to figure it out, but kind of picked it up to close the game," he stated. However, "[I have] got to come out to a better start in the first half, especially in the first quarter, because my team kind of feeds off me. I know that. So I got to be better. Joe's just holding me to a higher standard."