'We all talk about sacrifice, and it's not easy'
During the Celtics’ five-game homestand, Boston put up an impressive run against a group of teams that most likely will be in the postseason come spring.
With offseason moves that changed the look of the lineup, one player in particular has been called upon to reinvent himself game after game — Jaylen Brown. A role he has not only embraced but has excelled in since opening night tip-off.
Brown led the Celtics in the finale of the homestand by knocking down 31 points, grabbing five rebounds and adding six assists in Boston’s win over the Orlando Magic.
“I’m just a basketball player. I’m going to do whatever our team needs,” Brown said, per the team. “I just take advantage of the opportunities I get, make the right reads and I get in the rhythm.”
Brown added: “On this team, it’s clear that I don’t need to score 30 points a game. That would be great, but we’ve got a lot of guys that can put the ball in the cup that are playing well.”
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Celtics start Jayson Tatum expressed his gratitude toward Brown’s unselfish play this season as Boston remains undefeated at home with a 14-0 record and 20-5 overall.
“Credit to him and to everybody. We all talk about sacrifice, and it’s not easy,” Tatum said, per the team. “He was second all-NBA last year. I was 27 points or whatever, and to kind of, I don’t want to say take a step back, but in points and stuff like that, usage or whatever. Just do all of that so we can have a better chance to win.”
Tatum continued: “Knowing that we’ve added some guys on our team that can help us in those situations … I think it’s gonna pay off in the long run. Being on a great team, for us being so close these last two years, coming up short, we all understand. We’re willing to do whatever it takes to get over that hump come June.”
The Celtics played a duo of two-game sets against the Magic and Cleveland Cavaliers and in three of the four games, all five starting players hit double digits in points to lift Boston in the sweep.
Boston looks to extend their dominant run when they travel out West to take on the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday night.