"I had it rolling tonight” - Jaylen Brown doesn’t mince words after thrilling 32-point outing vs Cavs
Jaylen Brown tallied 32 points, leading the Boston Celtics to a 120-95 win over the visiting Cleveland Cavaliers on Tuesday in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinals.
Brown was perfect from the floor, starting 5-for-5, and from the line at 4-for-4 until the closing seconds of the quarter, when his half-court heave bounced off the rim.
Following the game, Jaylen Brown spoke to the media, highlighting his performance and the team's mentality in the series:
"I had it rolling tonight. Each and every game presents different challenges. I'm excited for Game 2... You just want to come out and make the right plays, the right reads, and that's all it is. Just playing through your teammates and playing with confidence."
Derrick White hit 7-of-12 attempts from beyond the arc, contributing 25 points for the Celtics, who outrebounded the Cavaliers 55-38. Jayson Tatum added 18 points and 11 rebounds, though he struggled with his shooting, going 7-for-19 from the field and missing all five of his 3-point attempts.
How Jaylen Brown impacted Boston Celtics in 25-point blowout win in Game 1
Just like in last week's Game 5 clincher against Miami, Brown sparked Boston’s offense in the early minutes. He started the scoring with a 3-pointer, drew fouls in the paint on two of the next three Celtics possessions, and then sank a challenging floater over Mitchell as part of a 15-point first quarter.
Nineteen of the Celtics’ initial 21 points were scored by either Brown or White, with White's early 3-pointer leading Cavs coach J.B. Bickerstaff to call his first timeout less than four minutes into the game.
White's rise as a formidable 3-point shooter has introduced another weapon to a Celtics offense that was ranked second in scoring during the regular season. The 29-year-old has hit at least five 3-pointers in each of Boston’s last three games, marking the first time he has achieved this feat in his NBA career.
This strategy mirrors the blueprint the Heat employed to deal the Celtics their sole defeat in Round 1. However, much like Miami's approach, it proved unsustainable. Cleveland managed only 2-for-30 on 3-point attempts after halftime and scored just 55 points across the final three quarters.
White put up 14 points in the third quarter, during which the Celtics led by as much as 16 points. Pritchard hit a 3-pointer that beat the buzzer at the end of the quarter, extending Boston's lead to 92-77. Meanwhile, Mitchell kept Cleveland within striking distance by scoring 16 points in the third.