Jaylen Brown has perfect mindset for 2022 NBA playoffs

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Jaylen Brown has no lack of focus right now -- he is squarely concentrated on helping the Boston Celtics make a deep run in the 2022 NBA playoffs.

The Celtics star started dealing with a hamstring injury late in Game 4 of Boston's first-round series versus the Brooklyn Nets. Brown finished the game but was grabbing at his hamstring in the fourth quarter. He struggled in the second-round series opener versus the Milwaukee Bucks, scoring just 12 points on 4-for-13 shooting and committing seven turnovers in one of the worst playoff performances of his career.

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Brown responded in impressive fashion Tuesday night in Game 2. He scored 25 points in the first half and finished with a game-high 30. He shot 6-for-10 from 3-point range, while also tallying six assists, five rebounds and two steals as the Celtics cruised to a 109-86 win. 

What is Brown's mindset as he's battling a hamstring issue amid this exciting playoff run?

“My whole life is on pause,” Brown said in his postgame press conference. “The only thing that matters is the playoffs. Day in day out. We’ve got to just do what we’ve got to do to make sure we’re ready to perform. This time of year, everybody has nagging injuries or things that they are dealing with.

"You can’t let that be an excuse. You have to find a way mentally and physically to overcome whatever it is and just get it done.”

The Celtics need Brown to be one of the best players in this series for them to emerge victorious and reach the Eastern Conference Finals. With Bucks star Khris Middleton reportedly expected to miss the entire round with a knee injury, there's no excuse for Brown not to be one of the top three players in the series.

Luckily for the Celtics, Game 3 in Milwaukee isn't until Saturday afternoon, which means Brown and injured guard Marcus Smart have extra time to get treatment and prepare physically for the next matchup.

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