Jaylen Brown unveiled a different kind of energy for the Boston Celtics in Game 4 against the Atlanta Hawks on Sunday night.
With Atlanta having momentum on its side entering the game, Boston needed a response, and Brown had a major hand in that effort. But perhaps that effort can be attributed to a move he made off the floor.
Taking a precautionary measure, Brown sported his face mask to begin the night. But in the second quarter with 9:02 remaining, he removed his mask and it served as the premonition for a pivotal lead to the finish line from Brown and Jayson Tatum in Boston’s 129-121 victory. With the mask, Brown scored two points and shot 1-of-7 from the field. But without the facial protection, Brown scored 29 points, shot 11-of-15, including a perfect 3-of-3 from beyond the arc.
“All in my head, I just needed a different look,” Brown told reporters, as seen on NBC Sports Boston’s postgame coverage. “I just felt like to start the game, I didn’t like the looks that I got. So I just needed something to switch up a little bit. And as soon as I took it off, things started to turn around a little bit.”
The removal of Brown’s protective gear also brought out some “Captain Obvious” analysis from Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla afterward.
“I saw his face,” Mazzulla said, per NBC Sports Boston. “And after that, I saw his poise. And I thought he did a great job making plays at the rim, operating in space, playing off two feet, making the right play. To me, he showed just tremendous poise on the offensive end. He had the ball in his hands making plays for himself and others.”
Brown dug deep and found a pivotal spark within, scoring 31 points with four rebounds and three assists to register his most impressive playoff performance thus far.
“After the timeout, we were looking for Jaylen. Couldn’t find him cause he didn’t have his mask on,” Marcus Smart explained, per NBC Sports Boston. “I was like, ‘Where’s he at?’ … We just knew at that moment it was a different JB and he’s gonna carry us and bring us home.”
In finding his stride, the Celtics also find themselves with a commanding 3-1 series lead and with a chance to close the door on Atlanta for good in Game 5 Tuesday night at TD Garden.
