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Brown exploded for 44 points in the Celtics\u2019 bounce-back win over the Pacers. <\/p>\n
The beginning of Jaylen Brown\u2019s last two Celtics<\/a> games could not have been more different. <\/p>\n On Christmas Day against Philadelphia, the three-time All-Star began the night on 1-8 shooting with 4 turnovers. Two days later, against the Pacers, Brown made his first 9<\/em> field goals en route to a 44-point explosion \u2014 the third-highest scoring outing of his career. <\/p>\n After the win, Brown said his confidence never wavered despite the Celtics\u2019 two-game skid.<\/p>\n \u201cI wasn\u2019t concerned at all,\u201d Brown said. \u201cThat\u2019s just the grind of a season. It\u2019s a new year. You can\u2019t expect everything to just go perfect.\u201d <\/p>\n There\u2019s a steadiness about Jaylen Brown that stands out after losses this season. Maybe it\u2019s the new hardware on his shelf between the Eastern Conference Finals MVP and Finals MVP trophy, he\u2019s been affirmed with the highest individual honors in basketball. Maybe it\u2019s the elusive Banner 18 finally hanging in the rafters. <\/p>\n Maybe it\u2019s the calming influence of Joe Mazzulla, who made sure to note that the Celtics\u2019 142-105 victory over the Pacers was effectively meaningless. <\/p>\n \u201cThis doesn\u2019t really matter, just as much as last game\u2019s loss doesn\u2019t matter,\u201d Mazzulla deadpanned after the win. <\/p>\n Brown hasn\u2019t had the smoothest beginning to the 2024-25 season \u2014 he\u2019s shooting 44.4% from the field and 32.2% from three, both career lows. He\u2019s dealt with a hip strain that kept him out of five games and limited him in a few more. Last week, his mother\u2019s home was burglarized<\/a>, and the lack of privacy that followed emotionally impacted him. <\/p>\n \u201cIt made us think about and evaluate things a little bit differently,\u201d Brown said. \u201cWe didn\u2019t love how the media approached the situation \u2014 we had drones flying over our house, people knocking on our door, it was a lot.\u201d<\/p>\n And, while the Celtics still have the third-best record in the NBA at 23-8, they\u2019ve struggled a bit as of late, dropping three of four games heading into Friday. <\/p>\n With Boston looking to right the ship, Brown took control, scoring 15 points in a five-minute span in the first quarter. That run was punctuated by a steal and dunk that electrified TD Garden. <\/p>\n \u201cHe was big time,\u201d Mazzulla said. \u201cHe has the ability to impact a team, an arena with his energy and his physicality. And when he gets into a certain zone, he just gets locked in… I thought he was a catalyst to what we were doing on both ends of the floor.\u201d <\/p>\n All at once, everything seemed to click. Brown shot 16-24 from the field, 6-11 from three, and 6-6 from the line. He grabbed 3 offensive rebounds and amassed 4 steals \u2014 more than the Celtics had as a team<\/em> on Wednesday. He relentlessly hounded Tyrese Haliburton.<\/p>\n Jaylen Brown WENT OFF for the Celtics!<\/p>\n 44 PTS (season-high) He passes Paul Pierce for the 2nd-most games in BOS franchise history with 40+ PTS, 5+ REB, & 5+ 3PM! pic.twitter.com\/15XzJxuivR<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 NBA (@NBA) December 28, 2024<\/a>\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n
5 REB
6 3PM
4 STL<\/p>\n