The Boston Celtics broke their two-game losing streak by crushing the Indiana Pacers (142-105) in a game that will go down in history for the colossal performance of Jaylen Brown, who is usually in the shadow of Jayson Tatum, but this time was the most outstanding of the ‘Jays’ to consolidate Boston’s second position in the Eastern Conference (23-8), only behind the unstoppable Cleveland Cavaliers (27-4) and the Oklahoma City Thunder (24.5)in the West (24-5).
Jaylen Brown stole the show with an anthological game: 44 points (10/15 t2, 6/11 t3 and 6/6 tl), 5 rebounds, 3 assists and 4 steals. It was the 11th game of his career in the NBA in which he scored 40 or more points and he became the third ‘Celtic’ to score at least 44 points and 4 steals in its entire history. Only the legendary Larry Bird (five times) and Antoine Walker had done it before
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Only his teammate Jayson Tatum can boast in the Boston franchise’s history of having more games with at least 40 points and five three-pointers. The Celtics flew with him on the court (+30), and he also showed his usual prowess from three-point range with a 41.1% shooting percentage (23/56).
Great game from substitute Payton Pritchard
Jayson Tatum (22+13+4+3 steals), the substitute Payton Pritchard, who scored 18 points (4/8 t3), 8 rebounds and 10 assists with 0 turnovers, and Al Horford (13+5+2) were the other standouts in Boston’s resounding victory, which could not count on the injured Kristaps Porzingis (ankle) and Jrue Holiday (shoulder).
On the Pacers side, the best performers were Tyrese Haliburton (19+4+9), Bennedict Mathurin (18+6+2), Pascal Siakam (14+9) and substitutes Jarace Wallace (15+5 assists) and Thomas Bryant (12+7). Indiana, which missed injured players Obi Toppin (ankle) and Andrew Nembhard (knee), suffered its second straight loss after five straight wins
