Brown Playing At Mvp-level For Celtics Over Incredible Five-game Span

Brown playing at MVP-level for Celtics over incredible five-game span originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye isn’t the only Boston athlete playing at an MVP-level right now.

With Jayson Tatum sidelined due to an Achilles injury, Jaylen Brown has taken his game to a higher level as the No. 1 option for the Boston Celtics.

Brown is averaging 29 points (career high), 6.0 rebounds and 4.8 assists (career high), while shooting 49.9 percent from the field (career high) and 34.7 percent from 3-point range this season. He’s also shooting a career-best 77.7 percent from the free throw line. His 6.9 free throws attempted per game and 58.7 true shooting percentage represent career highs as well.

If Brown maintains his 29 points per game average, it would be the third-highest in a single season in C’s history.

Brown’s scoring, playmaking, rebounding, defense and leadership have helped the Celtics earn a 12-9 record through 21 games despite a tough schedule and the introduction of many new players into the lineup.

Brown ranks seventh among all players in points per game, fourth in total points and second in field goals made. He has scored 30-plus points in 11 games so far.

The last five games, in particular, have been really impressive for Brown. The Celtics have beaten four very good teams — Cavaliers, Knicks, Magic and Pistons — over that span, along with a narrow loss to the Timberwolves.

Brown has led the way during this difficult stretch, especially offensively. He’s averaging 34 points, 7.2 rebounds and 7.0 assists over these five games.

Here’s an in-depth look at Brown’s fantastic play in the last five matchups.

Dec. 2 vs. Knicks

Score: 123-117 Celtics

Brown’s stats: 42 points, four rebounds, four assists

The Celtics trailed the Knicks by 13 in the second quarter before Brown put the team on his back and scored 18 in the frame to give Boston a lead it would protect through the rest of the night.

This was Brown’s third 40-point game of the season (he had three all of last season) and his second in the last week. He did it efficiently, too, shooting 66.7 percent from the field and 8-for-9 from the foul line.

Brown hunted Knicks star Jalen Brunson on offense and scored 14 points on 6-for-7 shooting in that matchup. Brown’s size and strength was too much for Brunson.

Nov. 30 at Cavs

Score: 117-115 Celtics

Brown’s stats: 19, points, 12 rebounds, 11 assists

Payton Pritchard was on fire in this game and scored a team-leading 42 points, so Brown went into facilitator mode with 11 assists. He also grabbed a team-high 12 rebounds, along with 19 points to tally his first triple-double of the season.

Brown also was ultra-aggressive in attacking the basket and shot 12-for-16 from the free throw line.

Nov. 29 at Timberwolves

Score: 119-115 T-Wolves

Brown’s stats: 41 points, seven assists, six rebounds, five steals

Brown was the only Celtics player consistently hitting shots in this game, at least in the first half. He didn’t just score, though, he also added seven assists, six rebounds and five steals in an impressive all-around effort.

Nov. 26 vs. Pistons

Score: 117-114 Celtics

Brown’s stats: 33 points, 10 rebounds, five assists, two blocks, two steals

The Celtics beat the first-place Pistons with Brown tallying his second 30-point double-double of the season. Nine of Brown’s 33 points came in the fourth quarter, including a clutch bucket and a foul with 1:39 left to play.

He also made a strong impact defensively with two blocks and two steals. Pistons players shot a lackluster 4-for-15 when Brown was the primary defender.

Nov. 23 vs. Magic

Score: 138-129 Celtics

Brown’s stats: 35 points, eight assists, four rebounds

Brown’s 13 fourth-quarter points helped the Celtics stave off a late Magic comeback attempt.