On Wednesday evening, Damian Lillard scored 32 factors, taking pictures 11-of-21 from the sphere and 6-of-10 from behind the three-point line. He was environment friendly, and he virtually led the Milwaukee Bucks to a powerful comeback over the Boston Celtics.
A box-score look at his stat line would conclude that he picked the Celtics aside. And in the previous few minutes of the competition, he performed nicely.
That doesn’t inform the entire story.
Not seen on the stat sheet is the full-court press Jaylen Brown performed towards him. The ball denial on inbounds performs. Brown’s chase-down, unrelenting protection hounded Lillard all evening.
“I assumed Jaylen’s mindset and depth to start out the sport was form of what stored us related all through the sport,” Joe Mazzulla mentioned. “And he set the tone so far as our defensive depth for the sport. And the remainder of the fellows picked up on that.”
Brown guarded Milwaukee’s star guard for a team-high 6:16 of sport time, but solely 4 of Lillard’s 21 photographs have been towards him. He shot 2-of-4. One make was straight off a Brook Lopez display screen, and the opposite, Brown acquired punished for taking part in too excessive up within the pick-n-roll and Lillard blew by him.
As a substitute, Lillard did his finest to keep away from going up towards Brown. He took 15 photographs towards Al Horford and Kristaps Porzingis mixed. The Bucks seemed to get him switched onto a giant anytime they might.
Photograph by Brian Babineau/NBAE through Getty Photographs
Lillard’s effectivity was spectacular, however within the case of Brown, his significance goes past the opponent’s taking pictures share. His eagerness to protect the perfect gamers on opposing group sends a powerful message to his Celtics brothers.
“It’s highly effective. What that does for our group,” mentioned Jayson Tatum. “How a lot better it makes us. Seeing him take the problem of guarding the perfect guard on the group, selecting them up full courtroom, [and] chasing him round all evening, it has an influence on the remainder of the group and actually offers all people else no excuses, proper? If he can do that each one evening whereas nonetheless making an attempt to be efficient on the offensive finish. It’s nothing in need of particular.”
Brown spent your entire evening discovering Lillard within the backcourt after a Celtics bucket and trailing him all the way in which up the ground. He didn’t give Lillard any area to breathe.
At first of the season, Brown made it his mission to make the All-Defensive First Crew. All 12 months lengthy, he’s embraced the problem of guarding opposing stars each evening. It will get him fired up.
Requested about his matchup with Lillard post-game, Brown cracked a smile.
“It’s enjoyable. It’s like a sport of chess,” Brown mentioned. “A man has it occurring, they wish to be aggressive, they’re going to him each possession. Decide him up, be aggressive. Generally you bought to be again. It’s good. All the time offers you good info.”
With all the brand new additions Boston made this summer time, sacrifice was inevitable. Relatively than taking a step again, Brown merely adjusted his focus.
He’s nonetheless a prime scoring choices on the Celtics. For the reason that All-Star break, he’s been some of the dominant scorers within the league. However he’s put extra effort into the defensive finish this 12 months than ever earlier than.
“Our guys will not be simply outlined by one factor, and we perceive that, in an effort to win, we’ve got to play well-connected basketball, and it begins with depth and physicality,” mentioned Mazzulla. “Jaylen has executed an awesome job of that.”
The Celtics love protection. That breeds profitable. And Brown is on the forefront of that cost.
