Celtics’ Jayson Tatum shares high praise for Jaylen Brown after his stellar Game 1 vs. Cavs

Brown has always been talented, yet the Georgia native heard some boos on draft night back in 2016 and has seen plenty of doubt cast his way over the course of his career. That was never enough to deter him.

“Just year after year, things continue to slow down for him,” Tatum said. “I see every day the work that he puts in on the court and watching film to study those reads and things like that.”

Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla also had high praise for Brown following Game 1, specifically complimenting his star’s eagerness to develop:

“He takes a ton of pride in just growing as a player,” Mazzulla revealed. “Every year, every game, every day. He spends a lot of time on it. He’s not afraid to go after something that he knows that he can improve on, which I think is huge for his growth mindset … His ability to pick and choose his spots, when to play in transition. He had a couple times when he scored in transition, and two plays later, he slowed it down, went into the pick-and-roll, and made the right play … So, he’s grown as a player, and it’s helped us, and he’s playing big stretches for us. It’s important.”

What Brown’s performance says about the Celtics

On a night when Tatum wasn’t getting it done on offense, the Celtics should’ve been vulnerable. However, they didn’t skip a beat thanks to Brown and company.

Two-way guards Derrick White and Jrue Holiday combined for 39 points and backup point guard Payton Pritchard added 16 points off the bench. The Celtics’ well-balanced offense means almost anyone can break out when needed, and Tuesday just happened to be Brown’s night.

“We got a really talented team,” Tatum stated. “[Tonight] shows the depth of our team and how we can win games in a lot of different ways.”

Cavs star Donovan Mitchell worked his hardest to counter the Green Team’s all-around effort. He posted 33 points, six rebounds, and five assists in 36 minutes of play. Unfortunately for Cleveland, Mitchell couldn’t will his squad to victory all on his own. No other Cavalier had more than 20 points and besides Mitchell, only three Cavs scored in double figures.

Perhaps the best example of Mitchell’s herculean outing coming up short was with a little more than five minutes remaining in the third quarter. Down 14, he rushed Boston’s basket to try for a quick layup. Brown promptly rejected him, sending his shot off the backboard and into Holiday’s hands.

The Celtics then moved the ball around until Brown found Holiday for an easy layup, successfully converting Mitchell’s miss into quick points.

“We’re all geared in on guarding and defending at a high level,” Brown said when asked about his defensive highlight. “That play was just playoff basketball.”

With a 1-0 series lead, the C’s will aim to replicate their timely shot-making and domination on the glass in Game 2 on Thursday night. Conversely, the Cavs will hope for somebody besides Mitchell to step up before the series heads to Ohio.

“I’m excited for Game 2,” Brown announced. “Come out with the same mentality. You just want to come out, make the right plays, the right reads. That’s all it is. Just playing through your teammates and playing with confidence.”