Jaylen Brown's 10-Assist Triple-Double Exemplifies His Playmaking Growth: 'Keep Making the Right Play'

Jaylen Brown's playmaking growth is part of an evolution essential to the Celtics' sitting atop the standings in January and their June aspirations.

Eight days ago, when Ime Udoka made his return to Boston for the first time since the suspension that paved the way for his departure from the franchise, he stated that it was a "natural progression" for both halves of the Celtics' star tandem of Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum to become All-NBA players, adding, "they're going to be perennial."

Sunday night in Houston, the visitors' former bench boss challenged his old team to beat them while loading up to limit Tatum and Brown's impact as scorers.

Neither of them registered 20 points, combining to put 31 on the board, a far cry from the 50 the duo collectively averages.

But in Boston's 116-107 win, completing its regular-season sweep of the Rockets, Brown recorded his third-career triple-double, pairing his 13 points with 11 rebounds, and his ten assists tied Alperen Sengun for the most in the matchup. He also swiped a team-high three steals.

As is consistently the case, the two-time All-Star was at the center of the Celtics' pushing the pace for most of the contest. Whether it was by leading their transition attack, operating pick-and-rolls with Kristaps Porzingis, who finished with a game-high 32 points, or feeding the seven-foot-three center on post-ups, simple decisions and comfort in not forcing the issue to create for himself repeatedly led to his team putting points on the board.

"We've got a good team, which doesn't require me to score the ball -- it requires you to be a basketball player," Brown said after Boston improved to 33-10.

"So, tonight, they were overaggressive helping at the rim, and we had kickouts and wide-open shots all night, so, just keep making the right play over and over again, and that's what it's about."

Sitting beside him at the podium, Porzingis chimed in, "It speaks about his leadership, too. He understands he doesn't need to score 30 every night, and he can be this -- he can have this kind of night where, maybe, he's not making all the shots, but he's just making those passes, making those reads for the teammates, and that us as a group, that's a chain reaction."

It's part of an evolution that has Brown, coming off a campaign he earned an All-NBA Second Team selection, playing the best basketball of his career. His growth as a playmaker, something many were skeptical of, is a crucial part of why the Celtics sit atop the NBA standings in late January and is essential to their hopes of lifting the Larry O'Brien Trophy in June.

Further Reading

JD Davison Shares Message to Jordan Walsh Before Rookie's NBA Debut

Celtics Finding Joy in Basketball and Each Other's Company: 'We've Been Blessed'

Fixated on Winning, Jayson Tatum Again Proves He's Not 'Bored Making the Right Play Over and Over'

Ime Udoka Assesses Tatum and Brown's Growth Since Coaching Them: 'A Lot of Potential That I Haven't Tapped Into'

Jrue Holiday Responds to Celtics Saying He's Sacrificing Most: 'Not Mad at My Situation'

Brad Stevens Shares What Celtics Are Looking to Add and How He Hopes to Do So

Derrick White Opens Up About Journey from Uncertainty He Belonged in the NBA to an All-Star Caliber Guard

Jaylen Brown Quieting Doubters, Validating What He Always Believed: 'Earn Everybody's Trust'

Joe Mazzulla Discusses Identity, Evolution of Celtics' Offense: 'Balance of Pace and Execution'

Jaylen Brown Shares His View of What Defines 'Celtics Basketball'