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As the Boston Celtics overcome the Minnesota Timberwolves on December 23, Jaylen Brown erupted for 23 points in the fourth quarter.
Following the game, Brown was being interviewed by NBC Sports Boston’s Abby Chin on the sidelines when Marcus Smart decided to give Brown some strong words of praise and encouragement.
“Big juice baby, that’s what I’m talking bout. From now on, that’s how you f****** play! I don’t wanna see you putting your damn head down no more. You’re too good for that baby,” Smart said as he interrupted the interview.
Brown has been playing at an All-Star level this season, fulfilling his potential as an elite scorer in the NBA, providing the Celtics with averages of 26.5 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 3.5 assists per game while shooting 48.8% from the field and 32.9% from beyond the perimeter.
The Celtics had been on somewhat of a slide heading into their game against the Timberwolves, losing five of their last six contests. However, thanks to Brown’s fourth-quarter heroics, Boston will head into their Christmas Day game against the Milwaukee Bucks with some momentum.
Jaylen Brown Is His Own Biggest Critic
Over the past two weeks, the Celtics have come in for some serious criticism as their league-leading offense began to stagnate, and the losses started to pile up.
However, when speaking to the media in his post-game press conference following their December 23 victory, Brown noted that he’s his own worst critic and is often harder on himself than the media is.
“Obviously, I haven’t played basketball up to my level that I expect. I think, you know, we got a lot of critics in Boston, but I’m my biggest and my own toughest critic. So obviously, when you’re going through a little stretch where you could be playing a lot better, obviously you’re gonna be a little bit harder on yourself,” Brown said.
Brown, 26, is currently shooting 68% around the rim, 49% from mid-range, and 33% from deep, making him a genuine three-level scorer that defenses have to worry about on every possession.
Al Horford Praises Celtics Defense
Brown’s scoring exploits might have garnered the headlines, but the Celtics also did a solid job on the defensive end of the floor as they dealt with the scoring threats of Anthony Edwards and D’Angelo Russell, along with the size and rebounding of Rudy Gobert.
When speaking to the media following the game, Al Horford implored his teammates to continue executing on the defensive end and for them to make defense a primary focus of their game plan moving forward.
“The one thing that has to be consistent is our energy on the defensive end. I felt that we were pretty connected defensively tonight, and you know, that’s something that we always have to have,” Horford said.
Last season, the Celtics developed an identity as the best defensive team in the NBA, leading the league in defensive rating during the regular season, and with such little turnover during the off-season, it would be fair to expect them to reach similar heights as the season continues to move forward.
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