Jaylen Brown posed a significant threat to the Indiana Pacers even before he was passed over for an All-NBA team, which could have increased his motivation to demonstrate his potential for the Boston Celtics.
Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla said, “I think he cares about it in a way that motivates him, and I think he doesn’t really care about it at all,” after witnessing Brown equal his playoff career high of 40 points against Indiana in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference finals on Thursday night.
“He knows the most important thing is to win,” Mazzulla remarked. “He only is concerned with the appropriate things.”
Brown scored 10 points during a 20-0 Boston run that transformed a first-quarter deficit into a second-quarter advantage that the Celtics never surrendered, one game after his game-saving 3-pointer and one day after he was excluded from the league’s top 15 players voting. The third saw Indiana’s woes worsen as star Tyrese Haliburton re-injured his left hamstring, which had held him out of ten games in January.
“The second quarter’s start definitely altered the game a lot,” Pacers coach Rick Carlisle remarked. “The third was difficult, and losing Ty for the game was obviously a major setback.”
For the top-seeded Celtics, who lost Game 2 of both of their previous series this playoffs, Jayson Tatum and Derrick White each scored 23 points, while Jrue Holiday added 15 points and 10 assists.
For Indiana, which plays Games 3 and 4 at home on Saturday and Monday nights—having won 11 consecutive games—six of which were playoff games—Pascal Siakam scored 28 points. Thursday, Haliburton had 10 points and eight assists after finishing the series opener with 25 points and 10 assists. He left the game in the third.
“We need Ty, but ‘next man’ attitude,” Siakam remarked. “We must collaborate in our play. Playing together, this squad reached where it is. We have to carry on.”
Ten times throughout the first quarter, the lead changed hands, with the Pacers leading 27-22 with 1:14 remaining, one game after the Celtics surged to a 12-0 lead and Indiana spent the remainder of the first half fighting its way back.
Then Boston scored the next twenty points.
During the more than six-minute dry spell, Indiana made four turnovers and missed nine consecutive shots. Brown led the Celtics 61-52 after scoring 10 points on his own during the run and 24 at the break. He started the third quarter with two fast baskets.
But Siakam also came out firing in the second half, scoring four points in the opening four minutes—two of them were 2s and two of them were 3s—to make the score a two-point contest. Boston surged ahead once again, this time for good, scoring 16 of the next 21 points.
It was never inside single digits again for Indiana.
Tuesday night, Brown scored 26 points as the Celtics prevailed because of several unforced mistakes made by the Pacers, particularly Haliburton, in the closing minutes. Brown was left off the All-NBA squads on Wednesday; his inclusion to the second team the previous year earned him a five-year supermax agreement, which elevated him to the highest paid player in the NBA.
“I mean, he has it going,” Holiday added. You folks see what I see. Outstanding performer. Fabulous leader. Still, he wants to win. And decides things on his own. So I’m happy to have him on my side. With him, I ride. JB’s performance has been amazing, dude.
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