Celtics need to channel Jaylen's mindset entering Game 3 in New York
Here's why Jaylen Brown is confident the Celtics will respond from two crushing defeats to the Knicks in Games 1 and 2 of their playoff series.
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Celtics need to channel Jaylen's mindset entering Game 3 in New York originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
Jaylen Brown often is the critical voice that holds his teammates accountable following difficult losses.
But late Wednesday night, on the heels of a second consecutive crushing defeat, the Boston Celtics star sensed a different message needed to be delivered.
“Not an ideal situation, being down 0-2. But what’s done is done,” Brown said after the Celtics’ Game 2 loss to the New York Knicks, in which they became the first team in NBA history to blow 20-point leads twice in the same postseason.
“You’ve got to make sure we’re ready to come out — make sure my guys are ready to come out for Game 3. I think we’re due for a lot of makes. I think we had a lot of great shots tonight that, once again, didn’t go in.”
This is the same Jaylen Brown who believed the Celtics “forced the issue” at times in Game 1, when they missed an NBA-record 45 3-pointers on 60 attempts. Boston similarly struggled from 3-point land in Game 2 (10 for 40) and now has missed 75 of its 100 deep shots through two games.
But Brown implored his team to stay the course.
“We’ve just got to relax, take a deep breath, come out and play Celtic basketball,” Brown said. “Just like we’re down 0-2, we can tie this thing back up.
“Just be poised, take a deep breath, and just go out there and do what we supposed to do,” he added. “But we’ve got to be better to close games, and we’ve got to learn and respond fast. So, that’s the key.
“Shift your mentality, shift your focus. What’s in the past is over with; let it sting a little bit and then do whatever it takes in Game 3.”
The Celtics were one of the NBA’s best late-game teams during the regular season with a league-best 24-11 record in “clutch” games (score within five points; final five minutes). That makes their collapses to the Knicks in Games 1 and 2 all the more stunning.
So, what makes Brown confident that the last two games were just an aberration and not a potential death knell for a team with championship repeat aspirations?
“Resiliency. Toughness. We’ve got a great group that stays together through it all,” Brown said. “These are the moments when we need to show our resiliency. We need to show our toughness, our mental toughness because we can get back in this thing — no question.
“Obviously, being down 0-2, it sucks, but we’ve got a great group, and if I could select any guys that could get it done, it’s the group we have in the locker room. We’ve just got to come out, be a little more poised, take a deep breath, convert our opportunities.
“We missed layups, easy baskets. In two games, we (were) up twenty points and somehow (didn’t) end up with wins. It’s inexcusable, but we’re going to learn from it. We’re going to respond.”
We’ll find out of the Celtics can channel Brown’s mindset on Saturday afternoon at Madison Square Garden. Tip-off is set for 3:30 p.m. ET, with NBC Sports Boston’s coverage beginning at 2:30 p.m. ET with Celtics Pregame Live.
