Jaylen Brown’s Outlook On Adversity Will Fire Up Celtics Fans

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.