Getty Jaylen Brown had a rough postseason, but he's better off for it.
Jaylen Brown had the perfect opportunity to take over. The Boston Celtics were at home in Game 7 against the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference Finals back in May. A win would get them back into the NBA Finals and give Boston a shot at its first championship since 2008.
Jayson Tatum sprained his ankle minutes into the game and hobbled his way through the contest, and it was time for Brown to show he could take over. Instead, the heavily favored Celtics fell to the eighth-seeded Heat in embarrassing fashion, falling 103-84, as Brown committed eight turnovers and misfired on 15 of his 23 shots.
Jaylen Brown Admits He ‘Failed’ in Game 7 Against the Heat
The Celtics battled their way into Game 7 after dropping the first three games of the series. Significant favorites to win the game and head back to the championship round, the Celtics suffered a blow when Tatum rolled his ankle early in the game and was never the same. He finished with 14 points on 5-for-13 shooting.
Tatum’s injury opened the door for Brown to step up. Brown failed to capitalize.
Brown made just eight of his 23 shots and committed a game-high eight turnovers. He went 1-for-9 from 3-point land.
“I failed. We failed. We let the whole city down.”
Jaylen Brown on losing Game 7
“We failed,” he said after the game. “I failed. We let the whole city down.”
Brown Used Game 7 as a Learning Moment
While the pain of losing a Game 7 at home stung for some time, Brown has used it to his advantage this season.
“It just inspired growth,” he told The Athletic. “It just inspired me to work hard. I probably worked the hardest I’ve ever worked this summer.
“My body’s changed. Athletically, I feel like I’m entering my prime, at peak athleticism. I’m running, I’m jumping, I’m defending. I’m guarding my ass off. I’m in the right spots. I’m more aware on defense. I’m more aware on offense.
“It just inspired me. Inspiration to improve is what it was. That’s how bad it stung to come up short the way we did, but I wouldn’t take anything back. Everything is for a reason.”
Brown believes all the offseason hard work is paying off. After signing the richest extension in NBA history, he believes he’s playing the best basketball of his career.
“I feel like on both sides of the ball, I’m playing the best basketball of my life,” he said.
“I feel like I’m a different player. I still have the same essence. That aggressiveness is where my tone is always going to be, but I’m seeing the floor, making the right reads, trying to get others involved all at the same time.”
Brown’s numbers are down from a year ago. He’s averaging 22.2 points, down from 26.6 last year. His assist and rebounding numbers are down, too. That could be because the Celtics brought in Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday and don’t need to rely as much on Brown and Tatum this year.
The Celtics own the best record in the Eastern Conference at 15-5. Winning, not stats, is what matters most to Brown.
“Most people, how they watch the game, they don’t really watch, so it’s like they evaluate it by statistics,” he said. “For the most part, how you play good basketball is most important. Making the right pass. Taking the right shots. Making the right plays.”