JAYLEN BROWN REVEALS HOW HE PLANS TO LEAD THE CELTICS AFTER EXTENDING KNICKS SERIES

BOSTON — Boston Celtics star Jaylen Brown isn’t always the center of attention in Beantown, but all eyes were on him on Wednesday night during Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals. Instead of succumbing to the pressure, which was amplified by the absence of fellow star Jayson Tatum, Brown shined against the New York Knicks and helped the Celtics earn a decisive 127-102 victory at TD Garden.

In the fourth quarter of Game 4, Tatum tragically ruptured his right Achilles tendon, ruling him out for the rest of the series and stunning the Celtics in the process. Facing a 3-1 series deficit without a six-time All-Star is far from ideal, yet Brown made it work. The reigning NBA Finals MVP finished with 26 points, his most of the second round, while shooting 53% from the field.

His efforts came in a time of desperation and despair for the Celtics, as many had assumed the defending champs were done after losing Game 4 and Tatum at the same time.

 

“It’s easy to kind of write things off, obviously unfortunate what happened to [Tatum], but we still have basketball to be played,” Brown stated in his postgame press conference. “I believe in this group, so don’t count us out just yet.”

Scoring aside, Brown also notched eight rebounds and a career-high 12 assists. Prior to Game 5, the four-time All-Star recorded 13 assists total through four outings.