Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports
Here's Where Jaylen Brown Impressed Joe Mazzulla the Most in Celtics' Win vs. Heat
Jaylen Brown had a surprisingly quiet performance scoring-wise in the Boston Celtics' 108-104 opening night win against the New York Knicks.
The two-time All-Star finished with 11 points on 4/11 shooting and went 0/4 from beyond the arc.
However, he also made a few nice plays as a facilitator, including setting up a cutting Derrick White for a layup and working the pick-and-roll with Kristaps Porzingis to get the latter a three that put the visitors, whose offense was struggling to that point, back on top 91-90 with 5:48 left.
Brown conveyed the following to Inside The Celtics while discussing how the seven-foot-three center will help his growth as a facilitator.
"He's important for our group. So, I'm always telling him I'm looking for him early, getting him going, getting him feeling well, getting adjusted to not just Boston, but just our team and our organization, our culture. He's a huge part of what we want in terms of our long-term success. I tell KP all the time, 'I'm going to you early; I'm looking for you early.' Get him feeling well because we need him on defense, too, as well as offense. He's important to everything that we got going over here. So, I'm going to make sure to get him going and get him feeling well."
The Marietta, Georgia native finished with a team-high five assists Wednesday night in New York. He also grabbed six rebounds and stayed active and engaged defensively, helping his team limit the hosts' offensive production.
In Friday's home opener, a 119-111 win against the Miami Heat, the All-NBA wing made his presence more noticeable, rising to the occasion when his team needed him most.
While it was Derrick White who scored the Celtics' first nine points in the final frame, including an 8-0 run to give the hosts momentum, Brown took the baton offensively, scoring seven of Boston's ensuing eight points.
He generated 12 of his 27 points in the fourth quarter, including working Kyle Lowry in the mid-post before capitalizing on his height advantage and delivering the knockout blow, burying an attempt from 30 feet with 17.1 seconds left. The latter was the final basket of the game for either team.
But after the victory, it was Brown's defense that head coach Joe Mazzulla praised most.
"The thing that I've seen from him is his consistency defensively, and when your two best players compete at a high level defensively, it sets the tone."
Boston's bench boss added, "With Jaylen, these first two games, regardless (of) how it's going on one end of the floor, he's competing at a high level with toughness and physicality, and tonight, he showed what he is. He's a guy that, when we need a basket, can get to his spot and get a basket, and I really like where he's at."
When informed of his coach's comments and asked about never letting up defensively and whether that is an example of him demonstrating leadership, the star wing had this to say.
"For sure. My energy kind of dictates the group's at times, so making sure that I'm doing the right things, regardless if I'm making shots or missing shots, just being aggressive every time I touch it, keeping everybody organized, that's a part of my job description this year, and I look forward to it. It ain't gonna always be easy. Every night isn't gonna always be perfect the way everybody wants it to be, but I look forward to the grind. I look forward to the blood, the sweat, and the tears, and we gonna figure this thing out."
Further Reading
Here's What Stood Out in Celtics' Win vs. Heat: Boston at Its Best When It Matters Most
Joe Mazzulla Praises Derrick White's Performance vs. Miami Heat
Kristaps Porzingis Gives Glimpse of How He'll Boost Celtics Late-Game Offense
Jaylen Brown Teams with Johnny Cupcakes to Give Back to Boston
Rajon Rondo Latest Former Celtic to Spend Time with C's
Celtics Embracing Sacrifice in Championship Pursuit: 'Have to Buy into That'
Under Joe Mazzulla, Celtics Rebuilding Brotherhood Between Past and Present
