Jaylen Brown Believes He Has ‘Other Limits to Reach in the Future’ with Jayson Tatum
Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum have reached another level of greatness this season, and it’s all in pursuit of returning to the NBA Finals and leading Boston to their record 18th NBA title.
After a monster outing on Wednesday, Brown believes that The Jays have “other limits to reach in the future.” Brown dropped a season-high 41 points and 12 rebounds, while Tatum added 31 points and 10 rebounds to beat the New Orleans Pelicans 125-114. It was the fifth 40-point game in Brown’s career and the 10th time that Brown and Tatum combined to score 70+ points.
“I don’t think this is the best you will see,” Brown said, per ESPN. “I definitely think we’ve got other limits to reach in the future, in our career. This is just part of the process.”
☘️ 41 PTS (season-high)
— NBA (@NBA) January 12, 2023
☘️ 12 REB
Jaylen Brown went off in the Celtics home W pic.twitter.com/faQNsTi5qo
Interim head coach Joe Mazzulla believes Tatum and Brown have been using the pain of losing the 2022 NBA Finals to fuel their high level of play. He complimented Brown for playing aggressively against the Pelicans, saying Brown “took what the defense gave him and made the right plays.”
“To get to that point in your career when you know you need each other, and you know you need your teammates — it’s a very powerful thing,” Mazzulla said.
The Jays continued to shine for us tonight by combining for 72 points and 22 rebounds during our win over the Pelicans. pic.twitter.com/CHr0zdzD8f
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) January 12, 2023
Malcolm Brogdon (20 points, four rebounds, and four assists) echoed those statements during a TV appearance and said that he’s noticed how The Jays have “taken a huge leap individually and together, so it’s a joy to be with them.” Al Horford (14 points, three board, and four dimes) commended The Jays for the growth they’ve experienced this season.
“They continue to grow in front of our eyes,” Horford said. “What we did last year and what they did last year leading us to the Finals, it shows a lot of growth on their end — Now I feel like they’re just playing basketball, trying to lead us.”
Boston (30-12) plays the Brooklyn Nets (27-13) on Thursday.
