|
BOSTON -- Celtics second-year swingman Jaylen Brown became the youngest player in franchise history to score 30 points or more in a playoff game during Tuesday's Game 2 triumph over the Milwaukee Bucks. Brown scored a postseason career-high 30 points on 12-of-22 shooting while helping the Celtics run away with a 120-106 triumph in an Eastern Conference first-round series at TD Garden. The Celtics lead the best-of-seven series 2-0. At age 21 years, 175 days, Brown topped a record that Celtics legend Tommy Heinsohn held for six decades after scoring 30 points at age 22 years, 209 days against the Syracuse Nationals on March 23, 1957. Per Basketball Reference, the only active players to score 30 points or more in a playoff game at a younger age than Brown are Derrick Rose, Brandon Jennings and LeBron James. Brown was coming off a 20-point night in Boston's Game 1 win on Sunday. "I think Jaylen loves the moment," said Celtics coach Brad Stevens. "I think he really appreciated the opportunity to compete on this stage and at this level. And we've seen him against the better teams in the league all year be able to really raise his level in some of the biggest games." Brown set a new career high with 12 field goals, and he connected on 5 of 12 3-pointers. "I put a lot of time in this summer and over the course of the year just improving, offensively," Brown said. "Just coming into the draft, that was one of the biggest things people nitpicked me on, so that was one of the things I wanted to get better at. But I think the trust issue starts with Brad. When Brad tells you to shoot it, it gives you another level of confidence when your coach is like, 'Shoot it!' So when Brad tells me to shoot, I feel much better about it." Heinsohn, who was courtside Tuesday providing color commentary for NBC Sports Boston, laughed when asked if he could remember his record-setting night. "No, I don't remember. Who can remember that?" said the 83-year-old Heinsohn. "What was it? In 1957? Someone told me it was Syracuse. I don't even know." What Heinsohn is more definitive on is that Brown is just scratching the surface of his potential. "Jaylen's going to be a superstar. He's an All-Star player," Heinsohn said. "And so is [rookie Jayson] Tatum, the both of them. They're both competitors. And Terry Rozier is too. That's a terrific nucleus they are building there." Brown scored 12 first-quarter points, routinely attacking the basket, including a loud left-handed flush over former teammate Tyler Zeller. Brown came back with 10 points in the third quarter as the Celtics pulled away. The injury-ravaged Celtics, playing without All-Stars Gordon Hayward and Kyrie Irving, have seen young players like Brown succeed early in the postseason. "I think [Brown has] stepped up to the challenge," Celtics guard Shane Larkin said. "We lost our guy on the wing that was supposed to be the guy that took us to the next level. Gordon coming in, you never knew what JB's role was supposed to be. As soon as he went down, I think that first game [Brown] came out and he had 25 points and he stepped up to the challenge early. "All year, he's grown each and every game, making passes. Not just scoring the ball, but defensively, offensively, his overall game is understanding what coach wants, and I think he can be one of the best players in this league."
|
