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Jaylen Brown Shares His Evaluation of Celtics' Late-Game Offense He Mostly Wasn't Involved in
Jaylen Brown took three shots in the fourth quarter and none in overtime of the Celtics' 116-115 loss to the Sixers on Sunday.
Despite the two-time All-Star not having the ball much in the last 17 minutes of Game 4, Boston outscored Philadelphia 24-15 in the fourth frame. And had the ball left Marcus Smart's hand a tick earlier on his attempt at a game-winning three in overtime, the visitors would've taken two-straight games in the City of Brotherly Love, returning home with a commanding 3-1 lead.
After the loss, Brown, who finished with 23 points on 10/16 shooting and dished out five assists, shared his perspective about not getting the ball much in the fourth and fifth quarters.
"I guess I got to demand the ball a little bit more," stated the All-NBA hopeful. Showing his leadership, Brown followed that up by expressing, "I thought good things happened when I had it in my hands, but I thought our offense was ok. We chipped away. We made big-time shots. We got great looks all game long. And we just came up short in the end."
Brown was the lone Celtic who played with energy to start the game, scoring 12 of their first 14 points, ending the opening frame as their lone player with a positive plus-minus rating.
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And despite barely having the ball in the fourth quarter, his two assists matched Jayson Tatum. Smart was the only player on either side who had more in the last 12 minutes, dishing out three.
To state it explicitly, the purpose of pointing this out is to highlight Brown's impact, even when his touches were limited, and not to take from Tatum's performance.
The latter was outstanding in the second half of Game 4, living up to his superstar billing. The four-time All-Star registered 17 points in the second half, the most for Boston. His nine rebounds led all participants in that stretch. And he dished out four assists and swatted two shots. He also only had one turnover.
He also had five points in overtime, including a step-back three with 38 seconds left to put the visitors in front 115-113.
But when Joel Embiid got to the basket against Tatum at the other end, Brown came to double the MVP. That left James Harden open for a corner three he buried, propelling the Sixers to a series-tying win.
As challenging as it is to watch as Embiid barrels his way to the cup, where he'll likely tie the game, the Celtics had to live with that. And even if that meant a second overtime, one would expect Tatum and Brown to play with more energy than Harden and Embiid.
It's not a misstep that needs teaching or anyone piling on Brown. He knows he erred, and he owned his mistake after the loss.
Further Reading
Joe Mazzulla Explains Why He Didn't Take a Timeout in Celtics' Game 4 Loss to Sixers
Here's What Stood Out in Celtics' Game 4 Loss to Sixers: Boston Falls One Play Short of 3-1 Lead
Joe Mazzulla Sheds Light on Keys to Celtics' Defense Stifling Sixers in Game 3 Win
Film Room: Recalibrating Celtics' Defense for Game 2 Against Sixers
Celtics Address Letting Guard Down in Game 1 Loss to Sixers Team Missing Joel Embiid
