BREAKING NEWS: Celtics’ Star Unfazed by Cleveland’s Defense After Scoring 27 Points

The Boston Celtics lead the Cleveland Cavaliers 3-1 after Game 4 win, led by Jaylen Brown’s strong performance.

Brown shows All-NBA level play against the Cavaliers, averaging 26.5 PPG and shooting efficiently.
The Celtics secured a crucial win on the road, improving to 4-0 away in the postseason, emphasizing different ways to win.

On Monday night, the Boston Celtics took a convincing 3-1 lead over the Cleveland Cavaliers following a 109-102 Game 4 victory. Although the Cavaliers were shorthanded without Donovan Mitchell and Jarett Allen, the team played great collectively. However, it wasn’t enough to overcome the Celtics and their star duo, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. Tatum notched consecutive 30-point games for the first time this postseason, while Brown connected on the dagger three to seal the game. Their performance spoke volumes, but their words spoke louder following the game.

After the game, Brown spoke with the media and was very candid about his offensive skillset against the Cavaliers.

“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.

Jaylen Brown 2023-24 Second Round Stats vs. Cleveland Cavaliers

Category
 

Stats

PTS
 

REB
 

6.8

AST
 

1.8

FG%
 

61.2

PSA
 

141.3

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 precipice of advancing to yet another Conference Finals appearance. In Brown’s eight-year career, he has helped the Celtics reach the Conference Finals five times, including an NBA Finals appearance in 2022. Although the Celtics have faced depleted teams due to injury, the win they were able to pick up in Game 4 is much-needed in their hopes of winning a championship.

Not a Pretty Win in Cleveland, But it Was an Important Win

The victory against the Cavaliers displayed the heart of this Celtics team

Once the news broke that Donovan Mitchell would be sidelined for Game 4 due to a calf injury, it was almost a foregone conclusion that the Celtics would win this game. However, this is the NBA, meaning anything is possible. It’s easy for teams in Boston’s position to take for granted the competition without their two best players, but the Celtics remained poised even when they were tested.

Boston boasted a 13-point lead in the first half, which was eviscerated at the 8-minute mark of the third quarter, as the Cavaliers took the lead. Against a feisty and energetic team on their home court, becoming a victim of momentum isn’t an uncommon phenomenon. Despite the shift of energy in the building, the Celtics showcased their experience with great execution on both ends, building a 15-point second-half lead.

The victory improved the Celtics to 4-0 on the road thus far in the postseason. Following the Game 4 win, Jayson Tatum spoke with the media regarding the importance of performing on the road.

“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

Although the Celtics were one of the most dominant teams in NBA history during the regular season, holding an 11.3-point differential, head coach Joe Mazzulla has been vocal regarding the importance of winning in different ways. Game 4 was the Celtics’ first clutch win of the postseason, with the others being blowouts, and Mazzulla spoke with the media afterward praising his team’s effort.

“It’s good to be in those situations. It takes what it takes. However we have to win games, we have to do it. It was good to get reps playing different ways.” – Joe Mazzulla

The Celtics were able to sweep the two games in Cleveland and will have the opportunity to close out the series on their home court. There is no confirmed word on whether the stars of the Cavaliers will return to the lineup for Game 5, but Boston has displayed that they are laser-focused no matter who is on the court. The elimination game will be on Wednesday, May 15 at 8:30 PM ET.

RelatedA veteran teammate chimed in on the star forward’s ability to defend and the recognition he should command.