LOS ANGELES — On the flight from Sacramento to Los Angeles late Thursday night, Jaylen Brown texted Joe Mazzulla asking if he could guard Kawhi Leonard when the Celtics would face the surging Los Angeles Clippers on Saturday.
”Why wouldn’t I?” Brown said after the Celtics, recalling his decision to text his head coach. “I seek those challenges. I feel like it brings the most out of me.”
Leonard, a two-time Finals MVP, was playing some of the best basketball in the league, averaging 39 points throughout the Clippers’ six-game win streak.
But, on Saturday, he was held to just 22 points, and the Celtics beat the Clippers 146-115 to secure their 12th victory in 15 games.
Oh, and Jaylen Brown exploded for 50 points, tying his own career-high and putting together one of the most impressive offensive performances in Celtics history.
“After the game, I just kind of thanked him,” Mazzulla said. “I thought that it was an honor to be able to watch a performance like that as a coach.”
How an NBA snub fueled Jaylen Brown’s career night
Brown entered Saturday night with an undeniable chip on his shoulder after feeling overlooked for an award he thought he deserved: December’s Eastern Conference Player of the Month.
Brown undoubtedly put together the best month of his NBA career in December, averaging 31.7 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 5.4 assists per game — while shooting 53.8% from the field and 43.2% from three.
And, the Celtics won 9 of 12 games, rising to the third spot in the Eastern Conference.
Still, New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson earned the honors despite averaging inferior numbers across the board (30.6 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 7.1 assists, while shooting 47.5% from the field and 40.5% from three). As such, Brown turned to social media with his initial reaction to the snub, simply tweeting: “Smh.”
Before Saturday’s contest, Joe Mazzulla said he agreed that Brown should have won the award: “I hope he takes it out on our opponents for the next month.”
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The Celtics head coach said he knew his star would play with a chip on his shoulder.
“He’s always had something to prove. That’s something that he carries with him.”
Brown finished Saturday’s matchup against the Clippers with 50 points on 18-26 shooting, hitting 6 of 10 three-pointers and 8 of 10 free throws. He also tallied 5 assists and 3 rebounds, while turning over the ball just twice.
And, he knew a big night was coming before he even took his first shot of the night.
Yesterday, Brown partook in salsa classes with singer Victoria Monet, which he streamed on his Twitch. And, in warmups, everything was dropping: “I felt good as soon as I walked into the arena.”
”I knew it before the game started,” Brown said. “In warmups, I could just feel every shot; the ball was coming off my hands super clean. My footwork felt great.”
Brown did much of his damage in the third quarter, when he exploded for 19 points on a near-perfect 7-8 shooting. During that period, the Intuit Dome crowd began to loudly rally behind the Celtics, and Brown said he entered a flow state.
“You’re not even thinking about it at all,” Brown said. “You’re just playing, and it’s just like something takes over you, almost, in a sense — like you just flowing. It’s a flow state.”
His Celtics teammates could only watch in awe.
”It was unbelievable, just the shot making, it didn’t matter, what type of shot,” Derrick White said. “That was high-level.”
Saturday night was no aberration for Brown; the 29-year-old is averaging 32.6 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 5.6 assists on 61.4% true shooting over his last 15 games.
“He’s one of the best players in this game,” White said. “And he’s been amazing for us.”
Brown may not have been selected as the NBA’s December Player of the Month. But that snub may have helped inspire his scorching hot performance on Saturday — and give him an early start in January’s race.
“I like when my back is against the wall,” Brown said. “I like when people doubt. It fuels me.”
