Jaylen Brown and the Boston Celtics have shared in the adjustment period with the rest of the NBA during the inaugural In-Season Tournament.
Boston hosted the Chicago Bulls on Tuesday in the final game of the group stage. In order to advance, the Celtics needed to win by at least 23 points due to a tiebreaker within the group and get help from the Brooklyn Nets against the Toronto Raptors. Entering the fourth quarter, the Celtics led by 29 points.
In a normal game, Boston most likely would have taken out its starters and coasted to a win. Instead, the Celtics kept scoring with their starters to ensure they would take care of their business with the pending implications.
Boston did so with a 124-97 win over Chicago. While happy with the victory, the star guard recognized that there was a strange feel to keeping the pedal down in the final minutes of the win.
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“Honestly, it was a little weird,” Brown told Abby Chin after the win, per NBC Sports Boston’s postgame coverage. “We got the win, most importantly. Still undefeated at home. We move on to the next one.”
While the Celtics took an odd approach to the win, nearly every team in the NBA along with fans are still trying to wrap their heads around the structure of the new event.
“In-Season Tournament is new for everybody,” Brown explained. “Obviously it’s an adjustment for the fans, the players, the coaches. We did our best to come out and play hard. I guess that’s the new way we play.”
With Boston taking the first significant step towards winning the new tournament, Brown reflected on a positive experience so far.
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“I think the court is great,” Brown added. “I think the idea is great. It’s always fun winning.”
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Boston moves to the knockout rounds and will face the Indiana Pacers in the quarterfinal round.
Featured image via David Butler II/USA TODAY Sports Images
