Jaylen

Brown

Coming off of what he described as the best season of his NBA career, Brown just missed out on first-team All-NBA honors. The Celtics’ star wing was a first-team selection on 44 of 100 ballots, with Detroit’s Cade Cunningham appearing on 60 and finishing with 414 total points to Brown’s 384. Leonard, Mitchell, Durant and Brunson round out the All-NBA second team.

With no Jayson Tatum (knee), it was clear that Brown was going to have to shoulder a far heavier workload in Game 7. He did his best to deliver the victory in Game 7, but the Celtics’ wing appeared to run out of steam late. Brown’s shot selection wasn’t the best, as the 76ers were able to close driving lanes better than they did as Boston made its charge early in the fourth quarter. Brown’s production during the regular season should land him a first-team All-NBA spot, but percentages and turnovers limited his fantasy ceiling. In theory, having Tatum back for a full season should boost Brown’s efficiency, but it may also lower his scoring output.

Brown never really got going offensively in Game 6. His inconsistent shooting was followed by inefficient free-throw shooting in his trips to the stripe. Additionally, his five turnovers to just two assists help paint a picture of the challenges Philadelphia’s defense presented on Thursday. He’ll have a chance to bounce back on Saturday when the Celtics host the 76ers in a win-or-go-home Game 7.

Brown continues to pour in the points, but the efficiency simply wasn’t there in this game. This was the first time this series he shot below 40 percent from the floor. Brown has had a fantastic season, and he should be able to bounce back in Game 6 on Thursday, which will be their next opportunity to advance to the second round.

Brown’s 20 points in Game 4 were the fewest he’s scored in a game this series, having produced 25 or more in each of the first three. He and Jayson Tatum were at their best in the third quarter of Game 4, combining to score 25 of the Celtics’ 39 points. Their production helped Boston withstand a 36-point third quarter for the 76ers, who could not offer up a counterpunch in the fourth. Brown and the Celtics will look to close out the series on Tuesday night.

Brown carried the Celtics scoring load in Game 2 as Jayson Tatum was the only other player in double figures with 19 points. His top highlight of the game came early in the first quarter as he had a poster dunk on Adem Bona. Brown scored 36 points, but it wasn’t enough in the Game 2 loss to the 76ers. The Celtics head to Philadelphia for Game 3 on Friday.

Due to the nature of Game 1, which the Celtics won 123-91, and early foul trouble, Brown played only 30 minutes. But he was effective while on the floor, finishing with a game-high point total and a final stat line that only lacked a blocked shot. While there’s a lot more basketball to be played in this series, the 76ers could not come up with an answer for Brown or Jayson Tatum in Game 1. If that trend continues, the Celtics may not need to dig too deep to advance to the second round.

Friday’s win over the Pelicans secured the No. 2 seed for the Celtics, giving them nothing to play for in Sunday’s regular-season finale. Brown and Tatum not playing frees up playing time for Baylor Scheierman, Jordan Walsh, Hugo González and recent signing Dalano Banton.

Brown had 23 points, but didn’t make much of an impact in any of the other categories and also had seven turnovers. It wasn’t the best return game for the 29-year-old shooting guard after missing Thursday’s loss to the Knicks with an Achilles injury. Brown would seem to be a potential candidate to sit out in the Celtics’ regular season finale against the Magic on Sunday.

Brown missed Thursday’s loss to the Knicks, but he’s set to return after a one-game absence. With the 29-year-old small forward returning to the starting lineup, Jordan Walsh will head back to the bench.