As the Celtics drop below .500, Jaylen Brown doesn’t feel like an All-Star
"I think this is the most I've lost since I've been here as a Celtic."
Related Links
-
CELTICS
5 takeaways as Luka Doncic’s late heroics lead Mavericks over Celtics
-
CELTICS
Celtics’ Jaylen Brown named to his first All-Star team, while Jayson Tatum makes his second appearance
-
Boston Celtics
Sports Q: Should the Celtics have kept Terry Rozier rather than acquiring Kemba Walker?
-
CELTICS
Sean Grande explains why Brad Stevens isn’t to blame for the Celtics’ struggles
Tuesday should have been a big day for Jaylen Brown.
The 24-year-old Celtics wing was named to his first career All-Star game prior to Boston’s game against the Dallas Mavericks. Brown’s first All-Star game will take place in Atlanta — his hometown.
So how did Brown feel after being selected to his first All-Star game?
“I don’t feel very much like an All-Star,” Brown said. “I think this is the most I’ve lost since I’ve been here as a Celtic. We’ve got to find ways to win.”
Tuesday’s 110-107 loss to Dallas wasn’t as painful as Sunday’s 120-115 loss to the New Orleans Pelicans. The Celtics controlled their fourth-quarter swoon better and even re-took the lead after the Mavericks built a 12-point advantage.
But Luka Doncic’s late-game heroics finished off Boston. Doncic hit a 3-pointer trailing by one, and after Brown tied the game again with an aggressive drive to the hoop, Doncic buried a tough triple with 0.1 seconds remaining that sealed Boston’s fate.
“It’s tough,” Brown said. “We’ve got a system, and we stuck to it, and we lost tonight based upon that. When a guy gets it going like that, it’s tough, but we’ve got to get the ball out of his hands for sure.”
Jayson Tatum was selected to the All-Star team as well. Like Brown, he was conflicted about the honor.
“It’s twofold,” Tatum said. “Because obviously, I was happy for [Brown] as his first All-Star. Like I said, he deserved it. Then, it’s like, damn, I look at our record and where we’re at, and it’s hard to really focus on that when we aren’t where we want to be at as a team. That’s how I kind of approach it.
“Obviously, it’s an honor to be an All-Star but we’re used to winning games and being at the top of the East. I think that’s what my focus is, just trying to figure out what’s next for the team.”
So what’s the blueprint for success from here?
“String some wins together,” Brown said. “Win as many games as we can before the All-Star break. Get back above .500. And just keep playing good basketball. It’s a long season. We’ve still got 40 games left to play, so, looking forward to it each and every day.”
“Each and every day” isn’t just a talking point. The Celtics will take on the Atlanta Hawks as their road trip continues on Wednesday.
“I mean, s—, we got a game tomorrow,” Tatum said, sounding weary. “Just try to move on to the next one. That’s all you can do.”
Get Boston.com's browser alerts:
Enable breaking news notifications straight to your internet browser.
To comment, please create a screen name in your profile
To comment, please verify your email address
Conversation
This discussion has ended. Please join elsewhere on Boston.com