Jaylen Brown found a rhythm, and the rest was history: “You’re just in tune with everything”

The start of Jaylen Brown’s final two Celtics video games couldn’t have been extra totally different.

On Christmas Day towards Philadelphia, the three-time All-Star started the night time on 1-8 capturing with 4 turnovers. Two days later, towards the Pacers, Brown made his first 9 area targets en path to a 44-point explosion — the third-highest-scoring outing of his profession.

After the win, Brown stated his confidence by no means wavered regardless of the Celtics’ two-game skid.

“I wasn’t involved in any respect,” Brown stated. “That’s simply the grind of a season. It’s a brand new yr. You’ll be able to’t count on all the pieces to simply go excellent.”

There’s a steadiness about Jaylen Brown that stands out after losses this season. Possibly it’s the brand new {hardware} on his shelf — between the Jap Convention Finals MVP and Finals MVP trophy, he’s been affirmed with the best particular person honors in basketball. Possibly it’s the elusive Banner 18 lastly hanging within the rafters.

Possibly it’s the calming affect of Joe Mazulla, who made certain to notice that the Celtics’ 142-105 victory over the Pacers was successfully meaningless.

“This doesn’t actually matter, simply as a lot as final sport’s loss doesn’t matter,” Mazzulla deadpanned after the win.

Brown hasn’t had the smoothest starting to the 2024-25 season — he’s capturing 44.4% from the sector and 32.2% from three, each profession lows. He’s handled a hip pressure that stored him out of 5 video games and restricted him in a number of extra. Final week, his mom’s house was burglarized, and the dearth of privateness that adopted emotionally impacted him.

“It made us take into consideration and consider issues a little bit bit in another way,” Brown stated. “We didn’t love how the media approached the scenario — we had drones flying over our home, folks knocking on our door, it was lots.”

And, whereas the Celtics nonetheless have the third-best report within the NBA at 23-8, they’ve struggled a bit as of late, dropping three of 4 video games heading into Friday.

With Boston seeking to proper the ship, Brown took management, scoring 15 factors in a five-minute span within the first quarter. That run was punctuated by a steal and dunk that electrified TD Backyard.

“He was huge time,” Mazzulla stated. “He has the power to impression a group, an enviornment along with his vitality and his physicality. And when he will get right into a sure zone, he simply will get locked in… I assumed he was a catalyst to what we have been doing on each ends of the ground.”

Suddenly, all the pieces appeared to click on. Brown shot 16-24 from the sector, 6-11 from three, and 6-6 from the road. He grabbed 3 offensive rebounds and amassed 4 steals — greater than the Celtics had as a group on Wednesday. He relentlessly hounded Tyrese Haliburton.

It was the kind of efficiency that followers of the game are blessed with each occasionally — when a celebrity participant elevates to a different gear that appears nearly other-worldly.

“It’s only a rhythm,” Brown stated, looking for the phrases to explain what that sort of zone appears like. “You’re simply in tune with all the pieces. You’re simply linked to the followers. You’re simply linked to the sport. Every thing is simply type of flowing, all in the identical course.”

“You simply obtained to do your finest to remain in that — little stuff can take you out of it, arguing to the refs, taking note of different stuff, no matter,” he stated. “You simply should do your finest to remain in that rhythm.”

Mazzulla made certain to spotlight that Brown’s impression on the ball sport prolonged far past simply his shotmaking.

“He simply will get into his zone the place he’s simply laser-focused on his potential to get to a spot, impression a matchup defensively, make performs on the defensive finish, get the ball the place he wants it to get on offense,” stated the third-year head coach.

Brown has lengthy expressed he takes specific delight on the defensive finish.

“I don’t suppose my protection, folks pay sufficient consideration to it,” Brown stated. “I really feel like I’m probably the greatest two-way gamers on the earth. So, I attempt to dangle my hat on that facet. That takes a number of vitality, after which to have to return down and attempt to rating 24, 25 an evening and get our guys going — protection is the place our group must set the tone. Physicality. Toughness. I really feel like I’m the chief of that.”

Payton Pritchard, who recorded a close to triple-double off the bench with 18 factors, 10 assists, and eight rebounds, sat subsequent to Brown postgame and made his All-Protection case.

“He ought to positively be within the All-Protection class, as a result of we give him the toughest assignments,” Pritchard stated, noting how uncommon it’s for a wing to be tasked with hounding level guards. “It’s an exhausting factor. He’s creating havoc and making issues powerful each night time.”

It’ll take much more performances like Friday’s — video games the place Brown is seemingly floating, the place it’s solely the ball, the basket, and the gang, the place the guard he’s matched up towards needs he have been anybody else.

However, Brown’s large bounce-back efficiency was an ideal begin — and a reminder of the gorgeous basketball Brown when all the pieces is clicking.