Just as he has so many times this season, Jaylen Brown came out firing. He exploded for 15 points in the first quarter of Game 1 – helping the Celtics overcome a hot Cavs’ shooting start — and finished with a team-high 32 points.
“He was making timely plays when maybe they were about to go on a run,” Jayson Tatum said of his co-star. “He’s hitting big shots.”
Cleveland made 6 of 12 threes in the opening quarter, showing flashes of Game 2 Miami when below-average shooters like Isaac Okoro hit multiple treys.
The Celtics probably would have fallen behind if it weren’t for Brown’s quintessential hot start. Instead, they took a six-point lead heading into the second quarter and never looked back.
Through six postseason games, Brown has been the leading scorer on the Celtics, averaging 24.3 points on 54.5% shooting – both career playoff bests.
“I had it rolling tonight, but each and every game presents different challenges,” Brown said. “I’m excited for Game 2, to come out with the same mentality. But, you got to see how they might guard you, might cover you. You just want to come out, make the right plays, the right reads.”
Making the right reads.
It’s been a point of emphasis for Jaylen Brown all year — to avoid forcing bad shots, to find his teammates, to evaluate the most effective option on any given play and make quick decisions.
While Brown only accumulated two assists on Tuesday night, it was clear to both his coach and teammates that he opted not to force things even when he was feeling it. It was that mentality that empowered others like Derrick White, who had 25 points on 7 of 12 from three, to get hot as well.
After the victory, Joe Mazzulla praised Brown for his evolution when it comes to making reads, in particular.
“He had a couple times when he scored in transition, and two plays later, he slowed it down, went into the pick-and-roll, and made the right play,” Mazzulla said. “I think the growth with him, even if he scores six or eight in a row, he gets into the paint, and [makes the] pass [on the] next one.”
