Jaylen Brown’s confidence has never wavered, and during this postseason run, he’s doubling down on what he believes sets him apart from the rest of the NBA. Following the Boston Celtics’ dominant 115-93 Game 3 victory over the New York Knicks, Brown made a bold claim about his ability to attack the basket.
“I don’t think anybody on our team or maybe even in the league can get into the paint like I can, especially when I’m moving and my body’s feeling the way it should be. So that’s my goal, is just to get in the paint, finish, make them help, make them collapse, and then just find my guys for just open reads and play from there.”
It’s a statement that reflects Brown’s growing sense of responsibility as one of Boston’s offensive initiators, particularly when the team needs an aggressive presence downhill. Though the Celtics rank second-to-last in drives per game this postseason, Brown leads the team with 13.8 drives per game.
That ranks just 16th in the league overall, but it’s a clear sign of how crucial Brown’s paint touches are for Boston’s half-court flow.
Brown’s rim pressure doesn’t just create scoring opportunities for himself. It draws help defenders, collapses the defense, and opens the floor for Boston’s lethal shooters.
That was fully on display in Game 3 at Madison Square Garden. The Celtics, who had missed 75 threes combined in Games 1 and 2, erupted for 20-of-40 shooting from deep. The improved spacing and ball movement stemmed from their guards and especially Brown, forcing the Knicks to rotate from inside out.
Brown finished with 19 points, hitting a pair of threes and applying constant pressure through aggressive drives. While Jayson Tatum and Payton Pritchard lit up the scoreboard from outside, it was Brown’s interior presence that often initiated Boston’s best offensive sequences.
Despite his impact, Brown’s overall efficiency has taken a dip compared to his 2024 Finals MVP campaign. In the 2025 playoffs, he’s averaging 22.1 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 2.9 assists on 43.7% shooting from the field and just 31.7% from beyond the arc.
But he remains Boston’s most physically imposing perimeter player, capable of absorbing contact and finishing through traffic at full speed.
What makes Brown’s claim more than bravado is his consistent willingness to absorb hits, get downhill, and attack mismatches regardless of who’s in front of him. Even when his jump shot isn’t falling, he doesn’t drift out of the action. He digs into the paint, forces the defense to react, and resets Boston’s tempo.
If the Celtics are going to claw back from their 0-2 hole, Brown’s assertiveness will be central to their comeback hopes. While the league has its share of elite slashers, few match his blend of strength, balance, and burst.
In his mind, when healthy and in rhythm, no one drives quite like him, and on nights like Game 3, that belief becomes a problem for opponents.
