MY ACCOUNT
Jaylen Brown said he and his Boston Celtics team-mates wanted to play “like our season was on the line” after a 109-86 win in Game 2 of their Eastern Conference semi-final against the Milwaukee Bucks.
Brown only shot four-of-13 for 12 points in the Celtics’ Game 1 defeat, but followed up by scoring 30 points, with six assists and five rebounds as Boston levelled the series at 1-1 at TD Garden.
The 25-year-old also sank a playoff career-high six shots from beyond the arc and stated after the victory just how much the Celtics had wanted to square things up.
“We knew we had to come out and play like our season was on the line and we did that,” Brown said.
“It’s the playoffs. Survival of the fittest. Every game counts.”
As well as Brown’s performance, Jayson Tatum also stepped it up as he shot 29 points, with eight assists and three rebounds.
Boston coach Ime Udoka pointed to what his team had learned in their Game 1 defeat, namely not to get “outmuscled”, and just as they were dominated for large periods on Sunday, they followed up with a physical performance of their own on Tuesday.
“We adjusted well,” Udoka said. “We learned some things from Game 1 and felt like we knew we didn’t react accordingly to the way that we’re playing.
“Two big teams but we haven’t been outmuscled like that all year. I think our guys took pride in that, took that to heart and we knew we would come out with the right effort tonight.”
His opposite number, Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer, acknowledged the game-plan from the Celtics had worked, particularly on star player Giannis Antetokounmpo, who still finished with 28 points, with nine rebounds and seven assists.
“The guys on him, they’re solid, good, good defenders and then quite a bit of help,” Budenholzer said. “That’s where he’s just got to see and feel it. Do we kick it and get more threes? Or he’s got to finish against one-on-one defense. So, I think it’s a little bit of both.
“But Giannis, he always figures things out.”
