On Wednesday evening, Damian Lillard scored 32 factors, taking pictures 11-of-21 from the sphere and 6-of-10 from behind the three-point line. He was environment friendly, and he virtually led the Milwaukee Bucks to a powerful comeback over the Boston Celtics.
A box-score look at his stat line would conclude that he picked the Celtics aside. And in the previous couple of minutes of the competition, he performed nicely.
That doesn’t inform the entire story.
Not seen on the stat sheet is the full-court press Jaylen Brown performed towards him. The ball denial on inbounds performs. Brown’s chase-down, unrelenting protection hounded Lillard all evening.
“I assumed Jaylen’s mindset and depth to begin the sport was sort of what saved us linked all through the sport,” Joe Mazzulla mentioned. “And he set the tone so far as our defensive depth for the sport. And the remainder of the fellows picked up on that.”
Brown guarded Milwaukee’s star guard for a team-high 6:16 of sport time, but solely 4 of Lillard’s 21 pictures have been towards him. He shot 2-of-4. One make was instantly off a Brook Lopez display screen, and the opposite, Brown obtained punished for enjoying too excessive up within the pick-n-roll and Lillard blew by him.
As a substitute, Lillard did his finest to keep away from going up towards Brown. He took 15 pictures towards Al Horford and Kristaps Porzingis mixed. The Bucks appeared to get him switched onto an enormous anytime they might.
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Picture by Brian Babineau/NBAE by way of Getty Pictures
Lillard’s effectivity was spectacular, however within the case of Brown, his significance goes past the opponent’s taking pictures share. His eagerness to protect the perfect gamers on opposing workforce sends a powerful message to his Celtics brothers.
“It’s highly effective. What that does for our workforce,” mentioned Jayson Tatum. “How a lot better it makes us. Seeing him take the problem of guarding the perfect guard on the workforce, choosing them up full courtroom, [and] chasing him round all evening, it has an influence on the remainder of the workforce and actually offers everyone else no excuses, proper? If he can do that every one evening whereas nonetheless attempting to be efficient on the offensive finish. It’s nothing in need of particular.”
Brown spent the complete evening discovering Lillard within the backcourt after a Celtics bucket and trailing him all the way in which up the ground. He didn’t give Lillard any area to breathe.
At first of the season, Brown made it his mission to make the All-Defensive First Workforce. All 12 months lengthy, he’s embraced the problem of guarding opposing stars each evening. It will get him fired up.
Requested about his matchup with Lillard post-game, Brown cracked a smile.
“It’s enjoyable. It’s like a sport of chess,” Brown mentioned. “A man has it occurring, they need to be aggressive, they’re going to him each possession. Decide him up, be aggressive. Typically you bought to be again. It’s good. All the time offers you good data.”
With all the brand new additions Boston made this summer time, sacrifice was inevitable. Fairly than taking a step again, Brown merely adjusted his focus.
He’s nonetheless a high scoring choices on the Celtics. Because the All-Star break, he’s been some of the dominant scorers within the league. However he’s put extra effort into the defensive finish this 12 months than ever earlier than.
“Our guys will not be simply outlined by one factor, and we perceive that, to be able to win, we’ve to play well-connected basketball, and it begins with depth and physicality,” mentioned Mazzulla. “Jaylen has carried out an amazing job of that.”
The Celtics love protection. That breeds successful. And Brown is on the forefront of that cost.
