BOSTON — The Celtics were already shorthanded pregame against the Cavaliers as they were without two starters, and there was a chance Jaylen Brown would sit another game. But fortunately for the C’s, Brown was able to play through a thigh contusion he suffered earlier in the week against the Raptors.
They needed all the production Brown could muster throughout Friday’s clash with the Cavaliers, too, as it was a nailbiter down the stretch. While Cleveland prevailed 123-116 in a great game down the stretch over Boston, Brown scored 37 points in 34 minutes in the victory.
“I’ve had worse but it was decent enough that I couldn’t go in Detroit,” Brown said. “I didn’t feel my best to start the day today, but that’s a part of it. To get ready for later in the season, when you don’t always play your best either, you’ve just gotta come out and do what you’ve gotta do for your team. Tonight I felt like we had enough to win the game. We just came up short.”
Brown initially hurt his thigh against the Raptors, but he tried to play through it Tuesday in Toronto. However, he was taken out of the game early as it was clear he was hobbling on the court. Then he was downgraded from questionable to out for the Pistons loss the day after.
So it was no guarantee Brown played Friday, though he ended up making a huge impact on the game. Jayson Tatum added another huge night, putting up 46 points, 16 rebounds and nine assists, to go along with Brown’s big scoring game. However, the Cavaliers overcame an early 22-point deficit to hand the Celtics just their second losing streak of the season. Donovan Mitchell scored 41 points to pace the Cavs.
The Celtics and Cavs, the two best teams in the East, split their season series 2-2 after Friday’s result. The regular-season matchups don’t necessarily foreshadow what could happen in the playoffs should these teams meet in a few months. But there is value in nights like these where the Celtics went toe-to-toe with their East rival.
“It was definitely an intense game, a great atmosphere,” Brown said. “You could tell they wanted to beat us and we came out swinging. And we had enough. We had enough to win the game, despite whoever was sitting out, whatever, we should have won this game. A couple possessions that we can improve on and make smarter decisions. There’s a few plays I wish I could have back, but for the most part we were aggressive and they hit shots, so I give them credit.”
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