Celtics star Jaylen Brown paced all scorers Saturday afternoon at TD Garden, and he managed to do so without being at 100%.
Brown, who sliced open his right hand nine days before Boston's playoff opener, reaggravated the injury in Game 1 against the Atlanta Hawks. Nonetheless, the 26-year-old poured in 29 points and 12 rebounds -- both game highs -- in the Celtics' 112-99 win.
After the game, ESPN's Ros Gold-Onwude asked Brown what it was like to test out the stitched-up hand in a game setting. Brown, who's also still rocking a protective mask in wake of a facial fracture suffered in February, shared a mindset that surely will resonate among Boston fans.
"Just got to come out and be ready to go," Brown told Gold-Onwude. "My team depends on me, this city depends on me. I gotta come out and be ready. I don't make no excuses. I just come out and play ball."
Brown didn't seem too concerned about the status of his hand after Saturday's game. The seventh-year pro also will have an extra day of rest before the Celtics and the Hawks meet for the second contest of their best-of-seven first-round series.
Game 2 is scheduled for Thursday night, with tipoff from TD Garden scheduled at 7 p.m. ET.
