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Jaylen Brown

Jaylen Brown is Hearing MVP Talk

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PHOENIX – (Wire Service Report) – While the Phoenix Suns search for offense, the Boston Celtics are thriving behind Jaylen Brown, who belongs in the MVP conversation, according to one four-time MVP.

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“This whole MVP thing, I don’t understand why his name is not getting talked about some as well,” LeBron James said after Brown stuffed the stat sheet in the Celtics’ 111-89 victory at the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday.

“They’re playing great basketball, and it’s because of him and the rest of those guys. He’s taken that next step.”

Brown had 32 points, eight rebounds, seven assists and three steals against the Lakers, and he brings averages of 29.2 points, 7.0 rebounds and 4.9 assists — all career highs — into a back-to-back against the host Phoenix Suns on Tuesday, the third game of the Celtics’ four-game road trip.

The Suns, who have struggled to find offense in large part because of injuries to top scorers Devin Booker (24.7) and Dillon Brooks (20.9), have lost six of nine and enter after a 92-77 home loss to Portland on Sunday, their lowest point total since 2017 which was also a loss to the Blazers.

“We can’t get to the free throw line, can’t get to the rim,” Ott said. “Got to shoot jump shots. The way you shoot jump shots is to set screens. But we’re going to continue to find ways we want to play in transition. We want to get more shots up.”

Boston has won eight of nine and is a season-high 18 games above .500 in a season that was thought to be compromised by the loss of Jayson Tatum to a torn Achilles.

Brown, who is fourth in the league in scoring, made his case in support of James’ praise.

“I feel like I’m the best two-way player in the world,” Brown said. “I play both ends on the court. Night to night, I’m available, which is hard to do.

“I’m a leader. I help lead my team, empower my team to come out and play confidently, stuff that doesn’t always show up on the analytics. And I’m a winner. I come out and try to win every single night. So I’m grateful.”

The Celtics have compensated for the loss of Tatum and 2024 title team members Al Horford, Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis with a career year from reigning Sixth Man of the Year Payton Pritchard and veteran Derrick White.

Pritchard scored 30 points against the Lakers and is 15 of 28 from distance in the last three games, all wins. He is averaging a career-high 17.6 points with increased playing time. White’s 17.0 scoring average is also a career high.

“The story’s not done,” Celtics coach Joe Mazzula said. “We haven’t done anything. All we’ve done is stick to the process of winning on both ends of the floor.”

–Field Level Media

Jaylen Brown Carries Celtics, 142-105

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BOSTON – Celtics All-Star Jaylen Brown poured in a season-high 44 points to help Boston end a two-game losing streak by beating the visiting Indiana Pacers 142-105 Friday. Brown was 16 of 24 from the field, including 6 of 11 from 3-point territory, and made each of his six free-throw attempts. He also had five rebounds, three assists and four steals.

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Boston’s twin tandem All NBA star, Jayson Tatum, added 22 points and 13 rebounds for the Celtics, who were 23 of 57 from 3-point range. Payton Pritchard provided 18 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds off the Boston bench.

Tyrese Haliburton had a team-high 19 points and nine assists for the Pacers, who never led in the game. Indiana received 18 points from Bennedict Mathurin and 14 from Pascal Siakam. Off the bench, Jarace Walker had 15 points and five assists and Thomas Bryant added 12 points and seven rebounds.

The 142 points are the most Boston has scored in a game this season.

It was 11-11 midway through the first quarter before Boston pulled away for a 39-22 lead after one. Brown made each of his six field goal attempts for 15 points in the opening 12 minutes.

The Celtics led 57-37 after a Tatum 3-pointer with 3:38 remaining in the second quarter. Al Horford capped a 13-0 run with back-to-back 3-pointers that extended Boston’s lead to 65-37, and the Celtics were up 67-45 at halftime.

Brown was up to 23 points and Tatum collected 10 points and 10 rebounds in the first half.

Another Tatum 3-pointer gave the Celtics a 95-63 advantage with 4:10 left in the third quarter. It was 103-78 entering the fourth, and Boston’s lead peaked at 38 in the final quarter.

Each team was missing some key pieces. The Celtics played without Jrue Holiday (right shoulder impingement) and Kristaps Porzingis (left ankle sprain), and the Pacers didn’t have Obi Toppin (left ankle sprain) or Andrew Nembhard (left knee injury management).

The teams will meet again Sunday in Boston.

–Field Level Media

What Will Brown Do For You?

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BOSTON – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Jalen Brown was the talk of the town.

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Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown owned up to his lackluster performance in the team’s season-ending loss against the Miami Heat on Monday in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference finals.

Brown finished with 19 points and eight rebounds in the second-seeded Celtics’ 103-84 setback to the eighth-seeded Heat in Boston. However, he made just 8 of 23 shots from the floor — including 1 of 9 from 3-point range — to go along with eight turnovers.

“Just a terrible game. When my team needed me most, like (Jayson Tatum) hurt his ankle, first play of the game, and you could see it like swelling up on him,” Brown said. “He couldn’t move out there. It was tough for him. My team turned to me to make plays and I came up short, I failed. It’s tough. I give credit to Miami, but just a terrible job.”

All eyes now turn to the summer for Brown, who is eligible to sign a supermax contract extension worth $295 million over five years.

Brown, however, said he was just focused on Game 7 and nothing more.

“I expected to win today and move on,” he said. “That’s what my focus was on and that’s my focus has been on. We failed. I failed. It’s hard to think about anything else right now, to be honest. We’ll cross that bridge when we get there.”

Brown, 26, recorded career-best averages in points (26.6) and rebounds (6.9) to go along with a personal best-tying 3.5 assists per game.

A two-time All-Star and named to the 2023 All-NBA Second Team, Brown averaged 17.9 points, 5.2 rebounds and 2.2 assists in 470 career games (363 starts). He was selected by the Celtics with the third overall pick of the 2016 NBA Draft out of California.

–Field Level Media