Brown Earns ECF MVP as Celtics Punch Ticket to NBA Finals

BOSTON – Amid the celebration of Boston’s Eastern Conference Championship win Monday night, Cedric Maxwell was handed a microphone to announce the series MVP. When the Celtics Legend revealed the Larry Bird Trophy winner to be Jaylen Brown, the television cameras panned to Boston’s star wing, frozen in shock before the joy kicked in as his teammates swarmed him.

“I wasn’t expecting it at all,” Brown said after the Celtics completed their sweep of the Indiana Pacers with a 105-102 Game 4 win to punch their ticket to the NBA Finals. “I don’t ever win [any individual awards]. I’m just happy we won.”

Modest as his response was, Brown deserved such recognition and deserved to bask in the spotlight after the series he had.

He was the hero of Game 1 when he forced a turnover late in regulation to set up his miraculous game-tying 3-pointer to send the match into overtime.

He was the star of Game 2 when he erupted for a playoff career-high-tying 40 points in a blowout win.

He had his most efficient performance of the series in Game 3 when he scored 24 points on 55.6 percent shooting from the field.

And he had his fingerprints all over the title-clinching crunch-time victory, delivering the game-tying step-through floater, a steal, a block, and the assist on Derrick White’s game-winning bucket all within the final three minutes.

Throughout those four games, Brown averaged 29.8 points, 5.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists, and 2.0 steals per game while shooting 51.7 percent from the field and 37.0 percent from 3-point range.

“Jaylen deserved it,” Al Horford said. “He’s really been playing so well this year. You can see the improvement in his game, his growth. This is something that we’re all celebrating with him and it’s very well-deserved.”

Much of Brown’s improvement has come on the defensive end, which was visible throughout the series and especially toward the end of Game 4. Indiana was held scoreless during the final 3:32 of action as the C’s went on a 7-0 run, and JB’s defensive effort was a driving force for the duration of that stretch.

“I think I’m one of the best two-way wings in this game,” Brown said. “I thought this year, I’ve taken it to a level and I’ve increased it. I took the matchup. I picked up guys full-court. I chased guys off screens. I’ve battled with bigs … I like to set my hat on just being a versatile two-way wing who can do both at any point in time. The last four minutes of this game, you saw that.”

Part of Brown’s two-way impact comes with his increased vocal leadership. He noted how he wanted to step up in that department after their main voice, Marcus Smart, was traded. We saw Brown’s voice emerge throughout the regular season and even more in the Playoffs.

“I wanted to make sure that everybody felt me, and everybody knew what the standard was,” Brown said. “We didn’t skip no steps all season. I think we played the right way every single game. I thought everybody was accountable. And this is the byproduct.”

It’s a byproduct of winning the ECF MVP, as well. Brown was so locked into every action on both ends of the floor, he was so focused on winning each possession, that it took a moment for it all to catch up in the end when his name was announced over the Gainsbridge Fieldhouse public address system.

“I think it’s even better because he didn’t expect it,” said Jrue Holiday. “That really means that that didn’t matter to him. It was about winning and whatever it took, however long it took, that’s what was important. So I think when you have that mentality and that mindset and you see great people get rewarded for the things that they do, it just brings joy. I’m super excited for him. He’s been a First Team All-NBA for the whole season and wish he would’ve got that, but to see him get this award is big-time.”