Jaylen Brown delivered a masterclass on the defensive end of the court last night against the Mavericks. Brown became the first player since Tim Duncan in 2003 to record 3 blocks and 3 steals in Game 1 of the NBA Finals.
Some of the highlights below are truly astonishing. Starting off in the second quarter, Brown pickpocketed Luka Doncic in his own half and then dunked the ball for the easy bucket.
He kept up this defensive pressure in the third quarter when he snatched up an alley-oop pass meant for Derrick Jones Jr., before taking the ball up the court and dunking on Jones to complete the spectacular transitional play.
Brown couldn’t be stopped and didn’t show any signs of slowing down, as he blocked a lay-up from Kyrie Irving to force the turnover. Then going up the court, Brown hit a three-pointer from the logo, before blowing a kiss at the fans to celebrate the massive Celtics lead.
It was a sensational performance on the defensive end of the court. But Brown wasn’t just great on one end of the court, putting on a great showing on the offensive end as well. He set the pace for the Celtics in the first quarter when he crossed up Luka Doncic before throwing the hammer down on Kyrie Irving and Daniel Gafford.
Brown was on fire last night, putting up 22 points, 6 rebounds, 1 assist, 3 blocks, and 3 steals, as he led the Celtics to a 107-89 victory over the Mavericks. Brown showed out, continuing his great form from the Eastern Conference Finals as he helped the Celtics secure Game 1.
Can Jaylen Brown Win The Finals MVP For The Celtics?
Brown led the team in scoring last night, even though he struggled at points with his three-point and free-throw shooting, shooting 33% and 54% respectively. But he came up big for the Celtics with some massive shots, but more importantly, his defensive performance.
As mentioned before Brown became the first player since Tim Duncan to record 3+ blocks and 3+ steals in Game 1 of the NBA Finals. This historic achievement will feel great for Brown, but even more so since he was able to help the Celtics win the game.
Brown has been a strong presence for the Celtics in the playoffs so far, averaging 24.8 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 2.6 assists, while arguably being the Celtics’ best player. He was named the Larry Bird Eastern Conference Finals MVP, to which he had a surprising reaction.
Brown has been scrutinized quite a lot in the last year, especially since he signed his $286 million contract extension, which made him the highest-paid player in the NBA. But he is delivering for the Celtics in the big moments, as he showed last night.
Brown had a defiant message for his critics ahead of the Finals, showing how much he believes in himself. And with performances like he did last night, he has no reason not to believe in himself. All he needs to do is continue to deliver at the highest level and he could earn the NBA Finals MVP trophy if the Celtics win the NBA championship.
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