Jaylen Brown will be remembered as the hero of Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals. He made a clutch decision late in regulation, hitting a game-tying 3-pointer to send the Boston Celtics into overtime and extend their momentum to 133 points. He scored 128 points against the Indiana Pacers, leading the series 1-0.
After forcing an Indiana turnover with just under nine seconds left in regulation, Brown received an inbounds pass from Jrue Holiday in the far corner. Blocked by Pacers defender Pascal Siakam, Brown confidently went for a 3-pointer and made it with less than six seconds left. The Pacers were unable to score, and the game went into overtime.
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This was that moment. JB gives C a chance to come back with a clutch 3PT and wins W 🔥 pic.twitter.com/2cdfY6Jhc1
— NBC Sports Boston Celtics (@NBCSCeltics) May 22, 2024
Brown’s clutch 3 was his only 3-pointer of the night, finishing 1-of-4 from beyond the arc.
“Before the inbounds, I was telling myself, ‘If I hit this shot, it’s going to go in,'” Brown said of his shot after the game. “I kept telling myself, ‘If you grab it, it’ll go up, it’ll go in.’
Brown finished the game with 26 points on 10-of-20 shooting, ranking third on the team behind Jayson Tatum (36 points) and Jrue Holiday (28 points, a season-high). Three All-Stars each recorded three steals. They become the first trio in NBA playoff history Score at least 25 points and score at least 3 steals each.
To cap off his big night, Brown also had seven rebounds, five assists, and one block.
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For the first time in NBA playoff history, three teammates each recorded at least 25 points and three steals.
Jayson Tatum – 36 PTS, 3 STL
Jrue Holiday – 28 PTS, 3 STL
Jaylen Brown – 26 PTS, 3 STL pic.twitter.com/QOBwMEG4jp
— Taylor Snow (@taylorcsnow) May 22, 2024
Veteran big man Al Horford was excited about Brown’s performance in Tuesday night’s win and told NBC Sports Boston’s Abby Chinn how dominant Brown was.
“JB guy — big man,” Horford told Chin about Brown’s game-saving 3-point shot. “It was a big shot for us to take it to overtime, and then Joe [Mazzulla] He said there was another opportunity, so I took it. [Brown and Tatum] He stepped up and made big plays when needed. ”
Celtics head coach Joe Mazzula was also pleased with his team’s performance on Brown’s game-tying shot.
“It was a good play by the players,” Mazzula told the media after Tuesday night’s win. “I thought Derrick White made a great screen, but I thought Jalen.” [Brown] He had great balance — it was a great pass. [from Jrue Holiday] And it was a great shot. Great play by the guys. Great situational awareness, great execution.”
After holding on to home-court advantage in Game 1, the Celtics will look to tighten their game and take a 2-0 series lead when they return to TD Garden on Thursday night for Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals.
