Celtics Put Emphasis On Sparking Jaylen Brown In Fourth Quarter

BOSTON — Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown didn’t start off too hot Sunday, but he came alive in the fourth quarter to help put away the Milwaukee Bucks for a Christmas Day victory.

As soon as the final period began, Brown seemed to flip a switch for the Celtics. And apparently, that is all by design.

“At the start of the fourth quarter, there is always an emphasis on getting me involved,” Brown said postgame. “Star of the fourth quarter is about starting us off right. We knew Milwaukee gets stronger in the fourth quarter. That’s a veteran team, so we were aware of that.

“I wanted to come out and make sure the offense was clicking on all cylinders.”

Brown did just that, scoring 10 straight points for the Celtics to push their lead to almost 20. His offensive performance took away the need for Jayson Tatum to re-enter the game — giving him some much-needed rest after playing the entire second and third quarters.

The break was much appreciated from Tatum.

“He was aggressive,” Tatum told ESPN’s Malika Andrews postgame. “He came up big when we needed him most, especially at the start of that fourth. Regardless of what happens in the first three quarters, I know I can always count on him.”

Tatum and Brown combined for 70 points, 12 rebounds, nine assists and four steals in the win. The influx of numbers was great for Boston, but having each of them take over at different points in the second half truly made the difference on Christmas.