BOSTON — Moments after the Celtics had been topped NBA champions in June, Jaylen Brown embraced Luka Doncic.
“I like you, bro,” Brown advised the then-Mavericks star. “You’re a killer. You deliver the very best out in me.”
Brown didn’t comprehend it but, however he was just some minutes away from being named Finals MVP, an honor he obtained largely attributable to his defensive efforts in opposition to the Slovenian guard.
And, Doncic definitely didn’t know that the following time he’d be battling in opposition to Brown and the Celtics, he’d be doing in order a Laker.
Just some weeks after probably the most gorgeous trades in NBA historical past, Brown and Doncic confronted off once more. And whereas the supporting solid round Doncic modified — rather than Kyrie Irving and PJ Washington had been LeBron James and Austin Reaves — it largely felt like issues picked up precisely the place they left off in June.
Brown stole the ball from Doncic and located a streaking Al Horford for a working dunk within the first quarter. He guarded the Lakers guard full-court for many of the night time, and exhausted him offensively for many of the night time.
Doncic’s statline was nonetheless strong — largely due to a fourth-quarter outburst, he recorded 34 factors on 11-22 taking pictures — however he additionally turned the ball over 5 instances and completed with a game-worst plus-minus of -19.
Brown, in the meantime, completed with 31 factors (13-25 FG), 6 rebounds, 3 steals, and a couple of assists.
Brown will inform you going up in opposition to Doncic isn’t private: it’s merely a part of his accountability as one of many workforce’s leaders to protect the opposing workforce’s finest participant.
“That’s simply what my workforce wants me to do,” Brown mentioned. “Clearly, we bought lots of proficient guys on each ends, however I believe my workforce appears for me to have the ability to set the tone defensively and tackle these massive matchups, night time in and night time out.”
Nonetheless, although it’s turn into considerably routine, the Closing MVP’s teammates and coaches marveled at his skill to protect one of many world’s finest gamers full-court with little to no assist — after which nonetheless rating a team-high 9 factors within the fourth quarter.
“The toll that it takes — the psychological, and emotional, and bodily toughness that it takes to do what Jaylen is ready to do and did tonight, is simply high-level,” Joe Mazzulla mentioned.
How does he do it?
“You bought to be in unimaginable form,” Brown said merely.
However Jrue Vacation, who has made a profession of guarding opposing gamers’ prime gamers, mentioned it extends past that.
“It’s will. It’s willpower. It’s not simply power and conditioning — simply having the willpower,” Vacation mentioned. “You may see that JB has it. Particularly on platforms and video games like this, JB locks in and that’s part of what makes us so good.”
Requested Jrue Vacation concerning the toll it takes to protect elite gamers like Luka Doncic and nonetheless have to hold an offensive load:
“It’s will. It’s willpower. It isn’t simply power and conditioning — simply having the willpower. You may see that JB has it.” pic.twitter.com/Y5Y645uMaV
— Noa Dalzell (@NoaDalzell) March 9, 2025
Additional reinforcing the power willpower, on prime of his elite two-way play, Brown is observing Ramadan, which means that he’s fasting from daybreak to sundown via March twenty ninth. Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, is noticed by Muslims worldwide as a month of fasting, prayer, reflection, and neighborhood.
“I’m simply having fun with the journey — simply specializing in my physique and my well being, my thoughts, my spirit,” he mentioned. “I’m simply preparing for the playoffs — fasting, rising my conviction and my religion.”
The truth is that Brown isn’t going to exhibit that defensive willpower, that willpower, 82 video games a 12 months. He plainly acknowledged that it’s laborious to mentally and bodily put together for a matchup “on a Tuesday in a random metropolis.”
Nonetheless, the Celtics are dealing with a slew of contenders this week, the playoffs are just some weeks away, and Brown opted to kick into one other gear in a primetime rivalry sport in opposition to the Lakers.
“We don’t make excuses as athletes, nevertheless it takes rather a lot to enter that and carry out at a excessive stage,” he mentioned. “If you get in the direction of the playoffs… you get extra detailed. You bought extra time to only deal with the main points of no matter that matchup is, or no matter that workforce is, and issues type of get extra intense. All through the season, lots of instances groups are simply going via the motions. However when the playoffs come round, it’s a distinction.”
Celtics teammates marveled at Brown’s defensive vitality
It was removed from simply the Jaylen Brown present on Saturday night time. Jayson Tatum was the sport’s main scorer — he tallied 40 factors, 12 rebounds, 8 assists, and a couple of steals.
Al Horford performed one in all his finest defensive video games of the season, routinely getting stops on Doncic and LeBron James may even posting 14 factors, 9 rebounds, 4 assists, and three steals.
Vacation, in the meantime, returned from a 10-day absence attributable to a proper mallet finger damage, and made a defensive influence that Tatum and others famous merely makes the Celtics a greater workforce.
However, all three Celtics went out of the best way to commend Brown’s defensive management — and clarify the way it impacts the remainder of the workforce.
“Tonight, JB took possession on that, type of setting the tone — and simply set the tone for the remainder of the sport,” Tatum mentioned.
“I believe Jaylen type of loves it,” Horford mentioned. “He feeds off of that, and we feed off his vitality and what he does.”
Vacation, broadly among the best perimeter defenders within the NBA, gave maybe probably the most resounding praise of the night time.
“I don’t suppose folks perceive how laborious that’s,” Vacation mentioned. “I’ve tried it for a number of years and I don’t do it in addition to he does. So, him taking that function on and taking over that lead and being that robust — I imply, it seemed like he annoyed Luka for lots of the sport. That’s laborious to do. After which on the opposite finish, going proper again at him.”
For Brown, a part of the aggressive spirit comes from a profound respect for Doncic’s offensive sport — a sport that he’s studied and noticed over time.
Jaylen Brown expressed the respect he has for Luka — and the way he’s hung out finding out his sport:
“Luka is without doubt one of the greats. He’s a kind of generational abilities.”
“He’s one in all my favourite gamers on that aspect of the ball. So, I spend lots of time watching his sport.” pic.twitter.com/t9o5cypHDZ
— Noa Dalzell (@NoaDalzell) March 9, 2025
“Luka is without doubt one of the greats,” he mentioned postgame. “He’s a kind of generational abilities. I’ve enjoyable watching Luka play. Offensively, what he’s able to doing scoring the ball… offensively his expertise his subsequent to none. He’s one in all my favourite gamers on that aspect of the ball. So, I spend lots of time watching his sport.”
With the 111-101 win, the Celtics snapped the Lakers’ 8-game win streak and improved to 46-18 on the 12 months, rising their lead over the Knicks for the No. 2 seed to five.5 video games. The victory over the Lakers solely counts as one win — and it’ll doubtless haven’t any influence on the Celtics’ playoff seeding.
It nonetheless served a reminder of what it appears like when Brown and the Celtics attain one other gear.
“In the present day was not a kind of common season, regular video games the place it’s no matter,” Brown mentioned. “Tonight was a superb day for basketball.”
