Jaylen Brown delivers painfully clear response to NBA's latest mistake

The Boston Celtics just finished their West Coast road trip in the most satisfying way possible. They went into Intuit Dome, stared straight into the souls of the red hot Los Angeles Clippers, and walked away with a 146-115 win.

Here's what stood out.

Leading from the top down

Jaylen Brown and Derrick White were unbelievable in this game. They kickstarted the offense for the Celtics and set the tone for a big night right from the opening tip. By the end of the first quarter, the two had already combined for 27 points on an efficient 9-13 from the field.

Threes, mid-range jumpers, floaters, and layups. They did it all.

It was almost like the two were dueling against each other for a while, before Brown dialed it up to 11 and went into takeover mode in the third quarter. He poured in 19 points in the frame alone, and was so hot that you’d burn yourself if you even thought about trying to guard him.

He ended the night with 50 points on 18-26 from the field and 6-10 from beyond the arc. White, meanwhile, tallied 29 of his own with seven assists on the side.

Brown’s performance becomes even more incredible when you consider that he was snubbed for the Eastern Conference Player of the Month Award yesterday, publicly called the league of overlooking him, then came out and did this against the NBA’s hottest team.

Joe Mazzulla shakes up the starters

For the first time since Nov. 11, Jordan Walsh was not in the starting lineup for the Celtics. After playing just five minutes in Boston’s New Year’s Day win over the Sacramento Kings, the 21-year-old forward slid to the bench in favor of Sam Hauser.

The lineup change proved to be a sharp play from Joe Mazzulla, who managed to get strong outings from both men.

Walsh, in particular, looked like he had new life breathed into him. After some not-so-memorable outings on this road trip, the young wing got back to what had earned him the extra playing time in the first place. He was aggressive defensively, and made an effort to fight for extra possessions on the offensive glass any time he had the chance.

By the end of his first shift, which spanned across the final 13 minutes of the first half, Walsh had already ripped down six rebounds, half of which came off of Boston’s misses.

The second half featured more of the same from the youngster, who finished with a 13-point, 12-rebound double-double.

Another strong showing from the bench boys

What a road trip this has been for Luka Garza and Anfernee Simons. Two players who have experienced growing pains while integrating into the Celtics’ system seem to be hitting their stride at the exact same time -- while spending a ton of time together on the court.

The bench pairing capped off their impressive West Coast tour with even more strong minutes off the bench.

Simons sank some big shots, drilling five of his eight attempts from long range for 15 points on the evening. Meanwhile, Garza gave the Cs 11 points, six rebounds, three assists, and two stocks.

If they can sustain this level of play, then the Celtics’ depth is far more substantial than anyone could’ve imagined heading into the year.