Jaylen Brown Takes the Blame for bad Boston Celtics Loss to Atlanta Hawks

He didn't mince words, taking full responsibility for the loss to Atlanta despite finishing with an impressive stat line

Mar 30, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown (7) dribbles against Atlanta Hawks guard Dyson Daniels (5) in the first half at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mady Mertens-Imagn Images | Mady Mertens-Imagn Images

The Celtics dropped a tough one in Atlanta, falling behind by 21 in the fourth quarter of a game that was tied at halftime. 

The Celtics were missing Jayson Tatum and Neemias Queta, but they had Jaylen Brown, who missed his last two games with left Achilles tendinitis. The Atlanta native finished with an impressive stat line, falling one assist shy of a triple double. But his 29 points, 10 rebounds, and nine assists don’t tell the whole story of the game. 

“That was probably one of my worst games of the season,” he told reporters in Atlanta after the loss. “This game was on me. I gotta be better. Probably one of my worst performances in a while, and that cost us.” 

Brown scored 14 points in the fourth quarter to help cut the 21-point Hawks lead down to 11, but they could get no closer than eight. Brown had his chances to make this a monster night, but he shot 9-29 from the field and 8-14 from the free throw line. 

“I missed a lot of easy shots,” he said. “Very physical game. Playoff-like atmosphere, and I don’t think we adjusted quickly enough. They came to play, the refs let a lot of stuff go, and we didn’t adjust to the physicality.” 

Easy shots for Jaylen Brown are tough shots for a lot of people, and there were definitely some tough ones in the mix in this game as well. That's a credit to the Atlanta Hawks defense, which used speed and length to bother Brown, knowing that without Tatum, they were more free to do so. Maybe they also felt they could exploit his recent bout with tendinitis in his left leg. 

“I felt fine,” he said. “ I’m just trying to get my feet up under me and just maintain my balance and stuff like that.”

He later added, "Everybody's dealing with something.” 

Luckily for the Celtics, the loss did little damage in the standings. Boston has a two-game edge on New York with seven games to play (including one against each other in New York on April 9). It’s not an impossible gap to close, but it’s not an easy one, either. Especially once Brown gets back on level footing. 

Brown has had bad games before, and he’s never shied away from admitting so afterwards. 

“You can't throw in the towel if you're not feeling up to your best. Still got to do what you need to do,” he siad. “You just got to work your way through it, rely on your teammates. But if you’re getting good shots and getting good looks, you got to trust that and keep playing aggressive basketball. Tonight wasn't the greatest night for my team or myself, but you learn from it and move forward.”