Celtics’ Star Not Impressed By Cleveland’s Defense After Scoring 27 Points. Brown’s confidence exudes following a dominant performance in a Game 4 win against the Cavaliers.
In Monday night’s game, the Boston Celtics secured a commanding 3-1 lead over the Cleveland Cavaliers with a 109-102 victory in Game 4. Despite the Cavaliers missing key players Donovan Mitchell and Jarett Allen, they displayed strong collective play. However, it wasn’t enough to overcome the Celtics, led by their star duo Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. Tatum achieved back-to-back 30-point games for the first time this postseason, while Brown delivered a crucial three-pointer to seal the victory. Their on-court performance was impressive, but their post-game comments spoke volumes.
Following the game, Brown openly discussed his offensive abilities against the Cavaliers with the media.
“I don’t think anybody over there [Cavaliers] can really guard me.” – Jaylen Brown
Brown took a dip from his statistical averages from last season and this past season. This is due to the additions of Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday, which relieved the offensive load compared to years prior. However, in this series against the Cavaliers, Brown looks like the All-NBA player he was in 2023.
The numbers support Brown’s claim that there isn’t a player on the Cavaliers that’s capable of slowing him down. Besides the Game 2 loss, which nearly every player on the Celtics struggled in, Brown shot an extremely efficient 60 percent or greater in the rest of the games.
Celtics head coach, Joe Mazzulla, gave praise to Brown following their Game 3 victory, which has only further fueled and pushed the star player in the right direction.
“[Brown] picks and chooses his spots really well… No matter if he makes two, three shots in a row, the next play he makes is the right play.” – Joe Mazzulla
Boston is on the verge of progressing to yet another Conference Finals appearance. Throughout Brown’s eight-year career, he has been instrumental in the Celtics’ advancement to the Conference Finals five times, culminating in an NBA Finals appearance in 2022. Despite facing injury-depleted opponents, the victory secured in Game 4 is crucial for the Celtics as they strive for championship glory.
Not a Pretty Win in Cleveland, But it Was an Important Win
The victory against the Cavaliers displayed the heart of this Celtics team
After the news broke that Donovan Mitchell would miss Game 4 due to a calf injury, many expected the Celtics to secure a victory. However, in the unpredictable world of the NBA, anything can happen. While it’s tempting for teams like Boston to underestimate their opponents without their top players, the Celtics remained focused and composed, even when faced with challenges.
Despite holding a 13-point lead in the first half, the Cavaliers rallied and took the lead at the 8-minute mark of the third quarter. Facing a spirited home team, it’s not uncommon for momentum to shift unexpectedly. However, the Celtics demonstrated their experience by maintaining their composure and executing well on both ends of the court, eventually building a 15-point lead in the second half.
With this win, the Celtics extended their road record to a perfect 4-0 in the postseason. Following Game 4, Jayson Tatum addressed the media, emphasizing the significance of performing well away from home.
“There’s nothing better than winning a playoff game on the road. It’s kind of like, everybody against you guys except for the guys in the locker room. Tough environment, crowd was great.” – Jayson Tatum
Tatum also gave insight that he wasn’t surprised by the Cavaliers’ stellar play without Mitchell and Allen and that the Celtics were prepared to receive Cleveland’s best punch.
“When the best player goes out, everybody has more freedom, more opportunity. We knew it wasn’t going to be easy. It was a battle. It was fun out there.” – Jayson Tatum