Mazzulla's stunning Jaylen Brown statement will have Celtics fans buzzing

Perhaps Jaylen Brown was better off with the added fuel from the NBA than if he had received Eastern Conference Player of the Month in December.

In his first game after expressing his frustration over getting snubbed, an individual who thrives when the chip on his shoulder grows, delivered a two-way masterpiece. That included putting 50 points on the board, matching his career-high.

Brown's uber-efficient three-level scoring display was captivating. The four-time All-Star shot 69.2 percent from the field. The defense routinely forced him to go left. He turned them into the butt of a joke that hasn't had the same merit it once held in years.

The former Finals MVP fought for space from the mid-range before elevating over defenders. He uncorked multiple fadeaway jumpers as James Harden watched from up close. Brown got to the basket and produced 16 points in the paint.

And whether he was launching threes off the catch or off the dribble, the result was often the same. He knocked down six of the 10 shots he hoisted from beyond the arc. That includes burying a fadeaway from the corner that established a new season-high 44 points. Of course, it wouldn't have been a career night if he hadn't had a few more buckets left in him after that.

"Just being aggressive," said Brown after leading the Boston Celtics to a 146-115 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers. "Tonight, just one of those special nights, where the ball just -- I felt like every shot was going in."

Celtics marvel at more than Jaylen Brown's scoring

Boston's star wing delivered his best performance this season. The same might be true for the Celtics. The visitors capped their longest road trip of the 2025-26 campaign in style. They snapped the Clippers' six-game winning streak, and their 146 points match their highest output of the year. They now return to the comforts of TD Garden, having gone 4-1 during this stretch.

Most of the attention from their latest win will understandably go towards Brown's scoring. However, what he delivered was one of the most complete games of his career.

It started with a text to Joe Mazzulla while on the flight from Sacramento to Los Angeles. The message was simple: he wanted to guard Kawhi Leonard.

The six-time All-NBA selection finished with 22 points on an abysmal 35.3 percent shooting.

"I feel like I'm the best two-way player in the game. So, I wanted to take on the challenge. Each and every night, try to help my team get wins," said Brown when asked about the statement he just delivered.

"I thought his defense was tremendous from start to end, and I thought that was one of the most complete games that I have seen him play," voiced Joe Mazzulla.

To that sentiment, as if putting 50 points on the board, with remarkable efficiency, and locking down the other team's best player wasn't enough, the Marietta, Georgia, native dished out five assists. As has been the case all season, he consistently made the correct read and created quality opportunities for his teammates.

"After the game, I just kind of thanked him," shared Mazzulla. "I thought that was an honor to be able to watch a performance like that."

"It was unbelievable," said Derrick White, shaking his head and flashing a smile before sharing his thoughts on what he just witnessed. "Just the shot-making. It didn't matter what type of shot. That was high-level. It was fun to watch, and he did it on both sides of the ball. Guarded Kawhi, competed, and, yeah, he was unbelievable."

What it speaks to is the fire that has fueled Brown's career. He consistently returns better at the start of a new season than he was at the previous campaign's conclusion. His most significant growth tends to come after his most bitter endings.

Understanding how he operates, Mazzulla knew that Brown would use getting snubbed for Eastern Conference Player of the Month as motivation. He's also well aware of what drives his star wing.

"He wants to win. Winning's the most important to him," stated Boston's bench boss. "He wants to be a part of a great team, and he wants to be as best as he can be as a player, and I thought we saw a version of that tonight."

It was Brown at his best. It comes as no surprise that it came on the heels of his feeling disrespected.