Jaylen Brown: “we want to come back to Miami”

The headline of the evening would be the Celtics grabbing Game 4 in a 116-99 blowout in Miami to keep away from a sweep within the Jap Convention Finals. Under the fold will probably be Jayson Tatum’s 33-11-7 MVP efficiency to stave off elimination. Web page 2 will spotlight Boston’s 18-of-45 from behind the arc, together with Grant Williams hitting 4 of his six three-point makes an attempt and stellar protection in opposition to Jimmy Butler.

Someplace within the small print will probably be Jaylen Brown. He struggled in Video games 1, 2, and three, hitting simply 38% of his photographs together with 2-of-20 from behind the arc. Sport 4 wasn’t demonstrably higher; he scored 17 factors on 7-for-16 from the sector and 2-for-5 from the road. It’s been a battle after carrying such a robust near the common season into the primary two rounds of the playoffs.

However on Tuesday, Brown discovered different methods to contribute.

“I can’t pressure it,” Brown mentioned. “They’re making an attempt to make me a playmaker, so tonight, I believe I did a greater job simply moving into the paint and kicking it out — we bought a bonus, made the following go and had been in a position to get some open seems just about all evening. I gotta proceed to do this and if I proceed to do this, my shot will begin falling and we’ll be capable to go on somewhat run.”

JB had 4 dimes on the evening and a handful of hockey assists. Nevertheless, his greatest contribution might have come on the defensive finish. With the Celtics surging within the fourth quarter, in addition they shut down the Warmth defensively. A big a part of that was clamping down Jimmy Butler.

Brown credited the crew’s connectivity on protection, however individually, he was an enormous a part of limiting what had been Butler’s quarter all sequence up to now. Jimmy Buckets was Jimmy Damaged within the clutch. He made simply certainly one of his 5 photographs and grifted his approach to the free throw line 4 occasions for 5 factors. Brown outscored him with 6 largely due to his stalwart protection.

The pump fakes, the elbows and shoulders to create area, the flailing — none of that mattered when it mattered most.

“Sensible was in my ear, letting me know the place the sport was at. ‘Simply hold being aggressive. Preserve making the suitable play. It ain’t at all times gotta be me placing the ball within the basket.’ I helped us win tonight,” Brown mentioned.

Social media, TV pundits, and even our CelticsBlog Slack have prematurely began fascinated with the offseason with Brown’s pending extension entrance and middle. After an All-NBA Second Crew nod this 12 months, he’s eligible for a supermax of five years, $290 million dollars. As aforementioned, it’s been powerful sledding within the convention finals for the six-year professional and it’s pure to consider what the longer term holds the Celtics famous person.

Brown is barely fascinated with Sport 5 at TD Backyard on Thursday evening.

“We need to come again to Miami,” Brown mentioned. “If that occurs, I really feel like we’ll be ok with ourselves. The subsequent one needs to be enjoyable, it needs to be an enormous one, and we’re going to come back able to play.”

Earlier than Sport 4, the Celtics had a casual crew assembly. Brown wouldn’t delve into particulars an excessive amount of and even simmered at a number of the hypothesis that has circled the crew since arriving in South Seaside. As one of many cornerstones of the franchise and now the league, he’s taking up extra management tasks with the gamers’ union and as an energetic member of the town of Boston. These abilities are simply as prevalent within the Celtics’ locker room.

“Simply coming collectively, speaking it out,” Brown mentioned of his teammates’ bond. “Plenty of occasions, if you get thus far down 3-0, locker rooms and groups begin to go within the different path. We wished to guarantee that we stayed collectively. We wished to guarantee that we glance one another within the eye. We got here out at the moment and put our greatest foot ahead. I’m pleased with our group for doing that.”

It’s onerous to think about that Brown wasn’t a big a part of these conversations. And whereas his field rating statistics don’t precisely signify his play, his on courtroom contributions loomed giant in an enormous Sport 4 win.