Luke Kornet stuffed Franz Wagner at the rim with 7:04 remaining in the fourth quarter on Tuesday night. It was Game 5. The Orlando Magic found themselves on the brink of defeat, while the Boston Celtics were on the cusp of a first-round series victory. As the words, ‘Gimme that s***’ left Kornet’s mouth, Jayson Tatum grabbed the ball and pushed it up the floor.
Jaylen Brown sprinted to the far-side corner. Tatum swung the ball to Horford, who found Brown, and the Celtics star rose up as quick as he had all night. Buckets. As the ball fell through the nylon, Brown stared daggers at Orlando’s bench.
For a brief moment, he stood in place, looking into the eyes of anyone who dared to meet his gaze on the Magic’s sideline.
Jaylen Brown just helped Celtics beat Magic in Game 5
Just a few days earlier, after Orlando’s Game 3 win, Brown was telling prophecies of a fight. “There might be a fight break out or something because it is starting to feel like it is not even basketball, and the refs are not controlling the environment,” Brown said. “So, it is what it is. You want to fight it out? We can do that. Fight to see who goes to the second round."
Brown was fresh out of a game where a Cole Anthony yank saw him go crashing into the ground. He dislocated his finger on the play. “But I got nine more, so I’m alright,” he joked post-game.
His three in Game 5 Boston up by 26 points with less than seven minutes to go, the game, and series, was all but won. So, he took the chance to let Orlando know.
Yet when it was all said and done, all the talks of fights, non-basketball plays, and injuries went out the window. That’s show biz (playoff basketball), baby.
“Nah, it was just competitive basketball. Playoff basketball,” Brown said when asked if there were any extracurriculars that prompted him to stare down Orlando’s bench. He even took the time to properly praise the Magic.
“Shoutout to Orlando,” he continued. “They did a good job competing. They're a good young team. Nothing negative to say whatsoever. It is what it is. One team had to move on to the next round, and fortunately, it was us, but much respect to those guys.”
Brown’s dislocated finger was the least of his troubles throughout the series. On a team level, the Celtics needed his offensive production. The Magic took away Boston’s three-point attack, leaving them to play in isolation situations.
That’s where he and Tatum thrive.
But in order for it to work at a high enough level for them to defeat the Magic four times out of seven, they needed to be at their best.
“They wanted to slow us down, and they wanted to force us in one-on-one matchups, so we had to make plays,” Brown said. “I think that's what it just came down to. They were just daring me and JT, like, 'Beat us one-on-one.' And JT accepted it, and I accepted it, and we just made plays. Just being efficient, getting to our spots, etc.”
In Game 3, the Magic’s physicality worked as intended. Boston’s offense was slowed to a halt. Every time they brought the ball up the floor, they found themselves milliseconds away from an eight-second violation.
So, led by Brown, they decided to push.
“Our pace definitely helps with that, because it's hard to guard when you got pace,” Brown said. “But even if the game slows down, I think we still had [the] capacity to make plays. So, I think it was just a good overall learning experience for this series. We'll take some of this to the next.”
Brown took it upon himself to get the ball up the floor as fast as possible, whether it be after Orlando misses or makes. In doing so, he kept Orlando’s rock-solid defense on its toes.
Instead of giving them time to set up into the matchups they preferred, Brown’s pace-pushing forced them into situations they may not have wanted. Whether it be him posting up Cory Joseph or an easy way to get Tatum on Wendell Carter Jr., Brown’s intentional decision to get the ball past half-court faster did wonders for the Celtics’ offensive production in Games 4 and 5.
“They've got a bunch of capable defenders,” Tatum said. “They switch everything. So, just playing against the set defense the entire time is tough. So, just finding opportunities where you push the ball ahead [and] create some advantages.”
But Brown’s series troubles stretched well beyond the team level. Individually, he had to battle through an injury that’s plagued him for the last couple of months—a bone bruise and right posterior knee impingement.
Brown received injections in his knee to aid the issue prior to the start of the postseason, but the pain he played with was clear with every step, shot, and jump he took throughout the series.
As he lugged his injured knee up and down the court, over and over again, the warrior mindset Brown has become synonymous with was on display louder than ever.
Some may have chosen to sit out. Skipping injections in favor of a rest period may have been an option. But not for Brown.
Throughout the last few weeks of the regular season, Brown endured vicious slander from social media and major news outlets as he played through his injury. Deep down, he knew it was an issue that would persist throughout the postseason, so rather than trying to let it rest, he decided to get used to it.
“You normally see people complain about when people are choosing not to play,” Brown said with a smile earlier this month. “I've never experienced it the other way around, where I'm playing and people are encouraging me not to.”
Now, that decision has paid off.
Even in Game 5, after a slow start in the first half (for him and the Celtics), Brown pushed through and helped Boston end Orlando’s season on the TD Garden parquet.
“Just being aggressive,” Brown said. “I thought in the first half, it took me a minute to kind of get warmed up a little bit, but in the second half. I felt a little bit better to start the third quarter, but definitely something I got to be better at. Just starting the games, and that's usually what I do. I'm usually want to throw the first punch, but my body didn't feel great until the second half.”
At every step of his career, every detail and decision Brown makes is intentional. There’s a purpose for everything.
Playing through his injury? To get ready for the playoffs. Picking on a mismatch? To bend the opponent’s defense. Pushing the pace? To force the Magic’s defense to remain scrambled. There are no wasted movements for Brown.
And despite the pain that was evidently clear to anyone who watched Brown trudge up and down the court for the past five games, his intentionality never wavered.
“He's been intentional in every area of the game,” said Joe Mazzulla. “I think once he got healthy to start off the series, his defense is back to kind of where it was throughout the season. And just his playmaking. I mean, his efficiency is—He does a great job of getting to his spot, getting the shot that he wants, or getting it for his teammates.”
Brown has successfully done everything the Celtics have needed from him.
“He's just been tremendous in all areas,” Mazzulla said. “And again, he has the ability to take it to another level mentally and physically, and I thought he did that to start the third quarter for us.”
In Game 2, with Tatum sidelined, Brown poured in 36 points. He ran the pick-and-roll, methodically bullied mismatches, and took advantage of perimeter-deficient guards when he had the ball in his hands. Brown embodied everything a No. 1 option should be.
When Tatum came back, Brown knew what the Celtics needed, and he adapted. Tatum was red-hot in Games 3, 4, and 5, so Brown took on a complementary role.
He still got his post touches, but when the plays weren’t there for him, he kept the pace up. Brown sped the ball up the floor to keep Orlando’s defense out of rhythm as Boston successfully adjusted after their Game 3 defeat.
Game 5 was more of the same, as while Tatum lit up the box score and led the Celtics to a win, Brown’s 23 points, six rebounds, and three assists were just as crucial, especially his nine-point third quarter.
Brown shot 9-of-18 from the field and 2-of-4 from three, leading the Celtics in shot attempts with an extremely efficient performance.
And in the process of earning Boston a place in the second round of the playoffs, Brown also continued to etch his name in Celtics history. He tied Tommy Heinsohn, winning his 17th-career playoff series with the Celtics.
As he was made aware of the achievement, a smile crept across his face.
“I don't take none of it for granted,” Brown said. “This is my ninth season and ninth or eighth playoff run. So, I don't take any of this for granted. To be able to be in the midst of some of the most winningest players in his franchise, with a lot of upside still in front of me, I'm very grateful. So, I'm excited to move on to the next round. I'm excited to keep adding to that legacy here in Boston.”
One step at a time—including steps with a slight limp—Brown is eager to add more wins to that tally.
“It's about winning,” Brown said. “It's not about just getting that in the first round. So, I'm looking forward to advancing. It's the playoffs, and this is what it's all about.”
