The Celtics entered the All-Star break with plenty of momentum last week and Jaylen Brown ensured the team would be able to sustain that in Boston’s return to the floor Thursday night.
Brown put on a show against the Warriors, finishing with 23 points, 15 rebounds and a career-high 13 assists to lead Boston to a 121-110 win over Golden State. The performance makes him Thursday’s “Name to Know” Player of the Game. The Name to Know Player of the Game is sponsored by John’s Sewer and Drain Cleaning, the Name to Know when your drains don’t flow.
Brown’s 15 rebounds also matched his career-high and helped the visitors dominate the game for the better part of the first three quarters. Brown’s dominance was a main reason for Boston breaking the game wide open, as he tallied his triple-double by the 2:55 mark of the third quarter, posting 17 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists in just 27 minutes of action.
The All-Star also joined the Celtics record books with his performance, becoming the first player since Larry Bird to record 15 rebounds and 13 assists while scoring over 20 points according to stats guru Dick Lipe. It was the third triple-double of Brown’s season and sixth of his career.
“We’re at our best when he defends at a high level and takes accountability in his rebounding. I thought his rebounding was great tonight defensively,” Joe Mazzulla said after the win. “Offensively, again, this team challenges your ability to make rim reads or challenges your ability to play two-on-one, and tonight, he just did a great job of finding that. Whether it was for himself or for others.”
The Celtics led by as many as 34 points in the second half before a late rally by the Warriors in the fourth quarter trimmed the deficit in Boston’s second straight win. The team has won seven of their last eight games overall.
Brown and the Celtics continue their road trip on Sunday night when they take on the Lakers in Los Angeles.