Jaylen Brown: Celtics Have to ‘Play Like Our Life Depends On It’ in Game 5 vs. Mavs
Julia StumbaughJune 15, 2024
Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images
Jaylen Brown says the Boston Celtics feel the urgent need to close out the NBA Finals in Monday’s Game 5 against the Dallas Mavericks.
“We take those experiences, and we come out, and we play like our life depends on it,” Brown told reporters after Saturday’s loss (h/t NBA writer Noa Dalzell.) “Because it does.”
Noa Dalzell š @NoaDalzellNBAJaylen Brown said the Celtics will look at the film and learn how to get better.
And then, on Monday:
“We play like our life depends on it. Because it does.” pic.twitter.com/VWN0T47zlK
The Celtics had the opportunity to clinch the title Saturday by completing the sweep over the Mavericks on the road.
Instead, the Mavericks forced a fifth game with a 122-84 win that marked the third-largest Finals margin of victory in NBA history.
Brown was held to 10 points, his lowest total of the postseason so far, in the loss.
“We learn from it, we take it. We don’t dismiss it,” Brown said about what the Celtics would take away from the loss. “We gon’ learn from it, we gon’ see how and why exactly where the game was won and lost.”
Jayson Tatum led Boston’s offense with 15 points on 4-for-10 shooting. Meanwhile the Celtics, missing big man Kristaps PorziÅÄ£is for the second straight game, struggled to defend Mavericks stars Luka DonÄiÄ and Kyrie Irving, who combined for 50 points.
Brown, Tatum and the Celtics have two days to determine how to overcome the Mavericks’ defense, with or without PorziÅÄ£is, as they look to keep the series from going back to Dallas for a potential Game 6.
