Jaylen Brown Discusses His Mask-Ditching Monster Performance as Celtics Push Hawks to Brink of Elimination

Jaylen Brown erupted for 22 points in the second half of the Celtics' Game 4 win vs. the Hawks.

In the second quarter of the Celtics' 129-121 win against the Hawks in Game 4, Jaylen Brown threw caution to the wind and his face mask to the side.

After the game, Marcus Smart joked, "After the timeout, we were looking for Jaylen and couldn't find him because he didn't have his mask on, and then, I was like, 'where's he at?'

"And then we see him in the corner, and he gets the ball, and then obviously he makes those plays where he's driving with force, and he throws it off the glass a couple (of) times, and makes some great plays, and we just knew at that moment, it was a different JB and he was gonna carry us and bring us home."

Smart's read on the situation proved as accurate as his ability to diagnose defenses, as a more assertive Brown erupted for 22 of his 31 points in the second half, relentlessly attacking the rim.

His consistently getting downhill also set Robert Williams up for back-to-back layups to give Boston breathing room in crunch time, pulling ahead 113-106 with 3:14 left.

After the victory, Brown conveyed the following about losing the mask and playing with more aggression.

"Maybe it was all in my head. I just needed something different. When I took it off, it just gave me the edge I needed."

The two-time All-Star added, "It didn't matter if I scored 25 or I scored two, as long as I just helped my team to be in a position to win, that's what I'm trying to focus on. But I definitely need to continue to be more aggressive 'cause I feel like our team is different when I've got the ball and I'm being aggressive."

Celtics' head coach Joe Mazzulla also discussed Brown ditching his mask, praising him for the poise he played with.

Further Reading

Jayson Tatum on Celtics' Maintaining a Must-Win Mindset: 'We're Trying Not to Make it Tougher on Ourselves'

Here's What Stood Out in Celtics' Game 4 Win vs. Hawks: Jaylen Brown's 22 Second-Half Points Propels Boston to 3-1 Series Lead

Celtics Address Game 3 Loss to Hawks: 'This One Tonight is On Me'

Here's What Stood Out in Celtics' Loss in Game 3 vs. Hawks: Boston Struggles to Find Balance as Atlanta Extends Series

[Film Room] Derrick White's Assertiveness Leads to 26 Points, MVP Chants as Celtics Take 2-0 Lead

Here's What Stood Out in Celtics' Win vs. Hawks in Game 2: Swarming Defense and 64 Paint Points Propels Boston to 2-0 Lead

The Celtics Discuss Their Game 1 Win vs. the Hawks: 'We Can't Take Our Foot Off the Gas'

Here's What Stood Out in Celtics' Game 1 Win vs. Hawks: Championship-Caliber Defense Propels Hosts in Series Opener