BOSTON – Too many times this season, Jaylen Brown has been more than open to the idea of letting the game come to him.
Not on this night.
Brown played with a level of aggression offensively that we have seen few and far between from him this season, the kind that allowed him to finish at the rim consistently and in doing so, allowed the Boston Celtics to finish off the Bulls in no time to the tune of a 111-82 whipping.
Brown led the Celtics (8-6) with 18 points on 8-for-14 shooting to go with six rebounds and three assists.
It was the kind of performance Brown needed to deliver, as well as the kind that Boston was thirsting for after a string of lackluster performances that raised a ton of questions about this team that a squad pegged to be among the last teams standing in the East, should not have to deal with.
“I think the biggest thing is, for our whole team, Jaylen can get to the rim at any time,” said Celtics head coach Brad Stevens. “And I think the biggest thing is just continuing to not only finish with strength but also just continuing to make the right reads. And I think he’s improved in that.”
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Brown acknowledged after the game that, after film study in preparation for Wednesday’s game against the Bulls, he came in wanting to make a conscious effort to get to the rim more than he had in previous games.
It worked.
And Chicago’s porous defense helped make Brown’s plan, a lot easier to execute.
“Just trying to be aggressive on both ends,” Brown said.
Having the right mindset was also key for Brown's big game.
“It’s not my style to point fingers and things like that,” he said. “I have to play better. I just got to come out and play with the right mindset.”
Because of his 6-7 frame and strength on the wing, he has the ability to get into the lane and absorb contact.
That was not needed on Wednesday because more often than not, Brown was able to get into the paint and finish at the rim without a single Chicago body touching him.
You hear a lot of talk about how Brown’s defense and shot-making have to be at a relatively high level for Boston and Brown to be successful this season.
A year ago, he was the team’s second-leading scorer at 14.5 points per game in addition to drawing the toughest perimeter defensive assignment most nights.
But more than just the numbers, his true value lies in his ability to stay on the attack at both ends of the floor.
“When he plays like that,” said Boston’s Al Horford, “we look so much better.”
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