Getty Images Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown of the Boston Celtics are off to hot start
It was Boston Celtics All-Star Jayson Tatum’s second game-winning shot of the regular season.
With only 2.9 left on the clock, Tatum drained a 17-foot jumper that sealed a 122-120 win over the Detroit Pistons on Sunday. He finished with 24 points on 10-of-22 attempts, including 4-of-8 from deep; however, it’s Jaylen Brown who’s undoubtedly been the story of the 2020-21 Celtics, thus far.
With only seven games under his belt – sure, it’s still very, very early, but – Jaylen’s ascending towards an NBA first-class scorer. Scoring a game-high 31 points on 13-of-16 attempts, including 5 threes; Brown torched the Pistons for the second time in three days and continues to lead his team in points per game (28.0).
Jaylen Brown Reaches NBA’s Top-5 Scorer Territory
He’s also second in 3-pointers made (17), 3-point field-goal percentage (42.5%), and field-goal percentage (59.8%) but Brown’s masterful 31-point performance on only 16 shots bumped him up into top-5 territory. Rubbing elbows with Trae Young (28.2) and Kevin Durant (28.2), Jaylen’s currently tied for sixth in the league in points per game, per NBA.com.
Following Sunday’s win, Brown was asked why the game has seemingly slowed down for him, this season.
“As you get more experience, things start to develop for you,” Brown said. “So, the more opportunities I’ve gotten, the better things have gone for me.”
Jaylen Brown On Celtics’ Late-Game Execution: ‘Today Was Part Of That Process’
Out of a timeout and down by one point, Tatum attacked the Pistons’ defense after waiting for the Pistons to double-team him before he swung the ball out to an open Brown; who was standing wide-open behind the arc on the right shoulder and found the bottom of the net with 34 seconds left. After the game, Brown talked about hitting such a critical 3-pointer in the final minute of the game.
“Obviously, big games, big shots that we had that we didn’t have the first game,” Brown said. “To be honest, we allowed the game to be closer than it should have been. Give a lot of credit to Detroit, once again. I thought we played a lot better defense and they still hit some tough shots. So, I give them a lot of credit. I think they’re well-coached in Dwane Casey and they came out and played us well; in both games. We have to do a better job at raising our intensity and stopping guys.
“The game doesn’t have to come down to those last-minute possessions but when they do, it’s a process; today was a part of that process.”
“It’s good, personally, but as a unit, we don’t want it to be that close,” Brown said. “Play a little better; get a comfortable lead. It doesn’t have to come down to that but if it does, obviously, it’s good to see something go down.
Next up, the Celtics will travel to Tampa to take on the Raptors Monday night – the second night of their back-to-back set on the road.
READ NEXT: Celtics All-Star Blames Lineup’s Slow Start For Loss Vs. Pistons