BOSTON — While it was the Kristaps Porzingis show early on, Jaylen Brown was arguably the Celtics’ best player in their blowout win over the Mavericks in Game 1. Brown was everywhere with his two-way play, pouring in 22 points, six rebounds, three steals and three blocks.
Brown also made some history along the way. Per NBC Sports Boston’s Dick Lipe, Brown became the first Celtics player ever to record 20-plus points, three-plus blocks and three-plus steals in a Finals game. But when asked about that stat postgame, Brown threw some caution that the C’s shouldn’t be celebrating too hard after one win.
“It means nothing,” Brown said. “You just get ready for the next one.”
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So, despite the great play, it was clear Brown was already looking forward to the rest of the Finals. That’s natural: the Celtics know what it feels like to lose on this great stage. Two years ago, the C’s also won Game 1 of the Finals over the Warriors on the road. But they lost in six games back then. So even though the C’s comfortably took the 1-0 series lead on the Mavericks, there’s no relaxing for the home team.
But in the meantime between games, Brown should get his flowers after such a strong game. He was instrumental through the middle portions of the game. After the Mavs cut a 29-point Celtics lead down to eight in the third quarter, the C’s immediately responded with a 14-0 run to blow the game open. Brown was everywhere during that stretch, whether it was getting some blocks or getting to the free throw line.
Brown continues to elevate his play these playoffs after earning the East Finals MVP in the sweep over the Pacers. The defense was one of the biggest sticking points in Thursday’s win as he also matched up against Luka Doncic on several possessions. Brown started the win by picking up steals, then he got multiple blocks down the stretch of the night.
Despite the good vibes, Brown will be one of the first to point out the Celtics must regroup quickly even after the victory. They’ll look to protect home-court advantage in Game 2, set for 8 p.m. Sunday at the Garden.
“Next game, I’m sure they will make adjustments,” Brown said. “We got to be able to read it on the fly and make plays. Guys got to step up. We need guys like Sam (Hauser), Payton (Pritchard), to come in and step up, (Jayson Tatum). Everybody got to be ready to go.”
