Jaylen Brown led all Celtics gamers in factors, rebounds, assists and blocks throughout Monday evening’s matchup with the Detroit Pistons.
However after Boston was unable to safe a victory over the No. 1 workforce within the Jap Convention, Brown pointed the finger at himself.
“We’ve obtained to be higher. I’ve obtained to be higher,” the Celtics star mentioned after his workforce lost 112-105 at TD Garden. “I wasn’t adequate for my workforce, in order that’s on me.”
Brown, who’s performed his means into the NBA MVP dialog with a stellar begin to the season, totaled 34 factors, eight boards, seven assists and three blocks in a dropping effort. He additionally collected 4 of the Celtics’ seven offensive rebounds and would have completed with the next help complete had his workforce not shot 25.6% from 3-point vary.
Within the ultimate 5 minutes, Brown hit a 3-pointer and blocked two photographs to assist Boston reduce a nine-point deficit to 2. However he additionally had a turnover, a taking pictures foul and, most consequentially, two missed free throws throughout that closing stretch.
“I’ve obtained to do higher to get my workforce over the hump,” Brown mentioned. “In my thoughts, I didn’t have my finest recreation tonight, in order that’s on me.”
Requested why he was crucial of his efficiency, Brown pointed to poor execution on just a few “mindset performs” that harm the Celtics, “particularly within the fourth quarter.”
“Staying down on the shot pretend,” he mentioned. “I had a turnover within the fourth after which simply too many missed free throws. Simply mentality-wise, mindset-wise, I wanted to be extra for my workforce. I wasn’t tonight.”
Foul taking pictures was Brown’s greatest problem within the loss. He misfired on half of his 14 makes an attempt from the road, tying his single-game profession excessive with seven missed free throws.
The 2 he missed with 2:01 remaining would have made it 106-104 Pistons. As an alternative, Cade Cunningham scored what proved to be the game-winning jumper on the following possession.
“I believe my workforce did sufficient,” Brown mentioned. “I’ve obtained to be higher down the stretch. We’ve obtained to be higher down the stretch. (It was) positively a recreation that obtained away from us, that obtained away from me. We’ll watch the movie and be prepared for the following one.”
Derrick White stuffed Brown’s scoring void late, offering all the Celtics’ factors within the ultimate four-plus minutes of regulation and scoring 14 of his season-high 31 within the fourth quarter. However the veteran guard additionally dedicated a expensive late-game error, dropping possession with a minute remaining and Boston down 4. He and Brown every had 4 turnovers within the recreation.
White voiced his help for Brown postgame, saying he was to not blame for the loss.
“I believe that’s sort of what makes him particular,” White mentioned. “He had 30-something and nonetheless desires to do higher for us, and in order that’s what makes him particular. He’s in all probability his hardest critic, and we all know that he’s going to bounce again and proceed to do particular issues for us. And so clearly, this loss isn’t on him, it’s on all of us, and we’ve obtained his again, however that’s simply sort of the man he’s on this and why we love enjoying with him.”
Brown, Boston’s No. 1 possibility whereas Jayson Tatum recovers from Achilles surgical procedure, has scored a minimum of 30 factors in eight of his final 9 video games. NBA.com’s latest MVP Ladder rankings, printed final Friday, positioned him fifth behind Nikola Jokic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Luka Doncic and Cunningham.
