It’s long been known that the Boston Celtics‘ championship ceiling is centered around the growth of their star duo, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.
While Boston’s roster is littered with multi-skilled role players who provide impactful value, Tatum and Brown hold the keys to large-scale success. And in game two of their second-round series against the Milwaukee Bucks, the young wings gave us another glimpse of what they’re capable of when both are playing at a high level.
During the series against the Brooklyn Nets, we often saw either Tatum or Brown get hot for stretches, but it was a rarity that both players found their rhythm simultaneously – that’s still something they’re building towards. Luckily, when the chips were down, the star pairing found a way to co-exist and take control of the game.
Tatum, who will always be public enemy number one to opposing defenses, managed to score 29 points and provide eight assists in his role as the team’s primary playmaker. At the same time, Brown was explosive, dropping 30 points on 61.1% shooting from the field. Of course, two high-level wings playing at the top of their game ensured Boston tied up their series against Milwaukee, winning the contest 89-109.
After their stellar performances, ESPN analyst Stephen A Smith shared his thought’s on Boston’s young stars and what their skillsets mean for the Celtics’ chances of defeating the Bucks in their current playoff series.
“Boston is at a point, right now, you got six three’s from Jaylen Brown last night, five three’s from Jayson Tatum, Boston can win (the series) if that happens consistently,” Smith said during an episode of ESPN’S First Take.
Tatum Knew Brown Was ‘Locked In’
Jaylen Brown’s performance in the Celtics’ opening game against the Bucks on May 1 left a lot to be desired. For most of the contest, Brown looked to be forcing the issue, causing him to turn the ball over seven times and shoot a paltry 30.8% from the field as the Celtics fell to a double-digit defeat.
According to Grant Williams, Brown entered the TD Garden on May 3 with a ‘look in his eyes that led his teammates to believe his performance in Boston’s second game against Milwaukee would be one of his best of the postseason thus far.
With the Celtics now heading to Milwaukee for games three and four of their second-round series, Brown, and Tatum will need to find some consistency with their performance levels because when they play as they did in game two, teams will find it incredibly difficult to overcome Boston’s robust defense and explosive scoring punch.
Brown Focused on Playoff Success
Unlike the regular season, the playoffs are spread out, with multiple days passing between each contest. On the one hand, the rest is good, as it allows players the proper rest and recovery before each contest, but on the other hand, it allows for distractions to seep in and for rhythm to be broken.
However, when talking to the media following the Celtics’ victory on May 3, Brown detailed how the playoffs are his only focus right now and that he’s not doing anything that could take his focus off the end goal of lifting a championship at the end of the season.
“My whole life is on pause. The only thing that matters is the playoffs,” Brown told the media before confirming his hamstring issues are under control and that ‘I’ll be ready for game three.”
Milwaukee head coach Mike Budenholzer now has a decision to make, does he stick with a tried and tested game plan and expect Boston to regress slightly, or do the Bucks alter their approach to try and limit the Celtics’ star wings from controlling that game on the offensive side of the floor. We will get those answers on May 7 when the two teams face off for the third time.
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Stephen A Smith Heaps Pressure on Celtics Star Duo