Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports
Here's What Stood Out in Celtics' Win vs. Pelicans: Jaylen Brown's 41-Point Performance Propels Boston Past New Orleans
With the Pelicans taking the floor without Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram, it was on CJ McCollum to carry the offense. He did so admirably, registering 22 points in the first half and 16 in the second.
But after converting on 6/7 threes in the first two frames, McCollum went 0/5 from beyond the arc in the final two quarters.
That made it especially difficult for New Orleans to keep pace with a Celtics team that received 41 points from Jaylen Brown, who erupted for 18 in the third period.
Boston also got 31 points, ten rebounds, four assists, and a steal from Jayson Tatum.
Malcolm Brogdon delivering 16 of his 20 points in the second half also helped guide the hosts into the win column.
Now, a deep dive into what stood out in the Celtics' 125-114 win over the Pelicans.
First Frame an Offensive Slugfest
At the 6:08 mark, Sam Hauser earned a Tommy Point, diving on the floor to keep a possession alive, leading to a Jaylen Brown layup, tying the game at 17-17.
Boston got four shots on that trip, including Brown's layup. Hauser's hustle is appreciated, but he's responsible for one of those misses, drawing iron on an attempt from the right wing.
Defensively, Hauser's proven worthy of a rotation spot -- though this author believes not enough players challenge his foot speed and attack the basket against him, often settling for step-back jump shots. Jose Alvarado produced a layup by quickly taking Hauser off the dribble, working north-south.
But no matter how well Hauser holds up defensively, if he's not shooting well, he likely won't receive much playing time in the playoffs.
After drilling a second three off the dribble from the right wing, CJ McCollum was up to 11 points in the first 8:04 of the game. He didn't score after that, subbing out about two minutes later, but he finished the opening frame tied with Al Horford for the most points in the first 12 minutes.
Speaking of Horford, his first shift was a test of endurance, logging ten minutes and staying on the floor after Jonas Valanciunas checked out and the Pelicans went to Larry Nance Jr. at the five.
His 11 points came on 4/5 shooting, including going 3/4 from beyond the arc, knocking down his first three attempts. One came on Boston's opening possession, as a Tatum cut kept Valanciunas by the basket, leaving Horford open in the left corner.
Another also stemmed from Tatum setting him up, as the latter rammed into Horford's defender on a sideline inbounds, freeing the former up for a three.
While in actuality, Luke Kornet came in to spell Horford when it was time for him to get a breather, Payton Pritchard is the one who the box score listed as checking in for him. After checking in, on his first play, Pritchard jab stepped, then knocked down a three from 27 feet, putting Boston ahead 33-27.
As the quarter neared its close, Jayson Tatum fought for a backdoor cut, working against Alvarado. Kornet snapped a bounce pass, hitting Tatum in stride, and he delivered a thunderous one-handed jam, helping the hosts hold a 35-32 edge over their guests entering the second frame.
Tatum had only four points after the initial 12 minutes. But Boston's other star, Brown, helped pick up the slack, chipping in seven points on 3/4 shooting, cashing in on a pull-up three, attacking the basket, and showing off his evolution into a master of the mid-range.
Jaylen Brown and CJ McCollum Go Blow-for-Blow in the Second Frame
After a solid showing in the opening quarter, Kornet's impressive first shift continued in the second.
First, he denied Alvarado at the rim, leading to a Tatum jam at the other end, putting the Celtics ahead 44-32, and prompting a Pelicans timeout.
Then, Kornet recovered after biting slightly on a pump fake against Valanciunas, inducing a miss from seven feet from the cylinder.
Shortly after that, Boston got burnt for a situation where Malcolm Brogdon didn't box out Trey Murphy III, resulting in a put-back slam on a missed three by Alvarado. That was part of a 7-0 New Orleans run, cutting the deficit to 44-39.
But the Celtics responded promptly, as Brown staged a 5-0 run, cleaning up a Derrick White miss, then got well-positioned to tag Jaxson Hayes as the latter rolled to the rim, and when Hayes left the ball low and exposed, Brown knocked it free.
He then got through a narrow corridor, spinning and muscling his way to two points plus a trip to the free-throw line.
Brown tacked on the extra point, extending the hosts' advantage to 53-44 with 5:12 left before halftime.
The rest of the frame featured McCollum and Brown trading blows.
The former registered 11 points for the second-straight quarter, doing so on 4/5 shooting, including going 3/4 from beyond the arc. In a play that exemplified what kind of night this was for McCollum, he retrieved a loose ball in front of the Celtics' bench, then elevated and buried a three from the right wing.
Boston sent a second defender to force the ball out of his hands on a couple of instances but needs to do so more in the second half.
If the Pelicans' supporting cast beats them, they can tip their cap and walk away knowing they lost through a less likely formula than McCollum staying hot enough to propel his team to victory.
As for Brown, he matched McCollum's 11 points, showing off his fadeaway jumper from the post, getting to the basket, and uncorking a fadeaway jump shot above the left elbow.
Brown entered the break with a team-high 18 points.
Tatum, who generated ten points in the second frame, went into halftime with 14, producing five at the free-throw line, helping him overcome shooting 4/10 from the field, including 1/5 from beyond the arc.
Jaylen Brown Takes Over the Game in the Third Quarter
In keeping with a concerning pattern, the Celtics got off to a slow start in the third frame, getting outscored 8-3, including Murphy stepping in front of a telegraphed pass from White and finishing above the rim at the other end.
That quick burst pulled the Pelicans within one, 67-66.
But with McCollum cooling off from beyond the arc, going 0/4 on threes, it became far more challenging for New Orleans, without Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram, to keep pace.
To McCollum's credit, he still registered eight points, converting on a pair of floaters, but the visitors felt the impact of him not producing at the same rate he did in the first two quarters.
Brown erupting for 18 points in the third period also made it difficult for the Pelicans to keep the game close. His scoring barrage included generating 13-straight points for Boston, including a three off the catch from 29 feet and a few more turnaround jumpers in post-up situations.
Brown having the hot hand helped the hosts take a 67-55 lead into the final 12 minutes.
Jayson Tatum and Malcolm Brogdon Combine to Deliver the Knockout Blow
Brogdon, who went from scoring four points in the first half to contributing nine off the bench in the third quarter, got the Celtics off to a strong start in the fourth quarter.
First, he worked his way to the basket for a layup, then drilled a three the next time down the floor.
Jayson Tatum provided Boston's following seven points, mostly from attacking the rim but also courtesy of fighting for an offensive rebound and going up strong for a put-back that gave the Celtics a 109-98 advantage with 7:12 to go.
In the following play, Horford came from behind to block Valanciunas, who completely missed that he had a cutting Murphy open at the basket. At the other end, Grant Williams sold a potential dribble handoff to beat Valanciunas cleanly off the bounce for a layup.
Brown then buried a pull-up three, helping Boston reach the winner's circle, extending the lead to 114-100 with just under six minutes left.
Brogdon then helped the cause by picking off a poor pass from Murphy and cruising in for a layup. The Celtics' sixth man finished with 20 points, four assists, four rebounds, and two steals in 26 minutes. He also earned a plus-minus rating of plus-17.
Tatum then delivered the knockout blow, scoring five-straight points for the hosts, including a three from the right wing that gave Boston a 125-106 advantage with 2:45 on the clock.
That prompted Willie Green to take a timeout and empty his bench for the remainder of the Celtics' 125-114 victory.
Up Next
The Celtics travel to Brooklyn to face the Nets on Thursday. The game tips off at 7:30 pm EST. Inside The Celtics will have content related to the game coming out before, during, and afterward. And follow @BobbyKrivitsky on Twitter for updates and analysis from pregame to post.
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