NEW YORK – Jaylen Brown has always been a key player for the Boston Celtics, but coach Joe Mazzulla still took the time to praise his star man for being “well-rounded” on March 14.
The forward scored 37 points as the Celtics – who are leading the National Basketball Association (NBA) – unleashed a dominant offensive performance to blow past the Phoenix Suns 127-112 at their TD Garden home.
Boston’s trio of Brown, Jayson Tatum and Al Horford combined for 87 points in a dazzling performance against a Suns team looking to avenge the 117-107 home loss to Boston in Arizona on March 9.
Tatum finished with 26 points, while Horford weighed in with 24 points to secure a victory that edges the Celtics closer to securing the Eastern Conference’s top seeding in the post-season.
Mazzulla shared a little insight into Brown’s display in the victory.
“I think he’s really taken the point of emphasis to being a well-rounded player,” he said.
“Everything with him starts with his defensive intensity. Getting off to a great start defensively gets him going and that’s big for our team.
“And he can score on anybody at any time.
“He’s playing really well-rounded basketball on both ends. It’s fun to watch.”
The Celtics rained down a barrage of three-pointers on the Suns, converting 25-of-50 attempts from outside the arc. The Suns by contrast shot just 11-of-31 from three-point range.
Devin Booker led the Suns’ scorers with 23 points, with Bradley Beal making 22, while Kevin Durant and Grayson Allen finished with 20 apiece.
Boston improved to 52-14 with the victory, and are 9½ games clear of second-placed Milwaukee Bucks (43-24) at the top of the Eastern Conference.
Phoenix fell to 38-28 and are seventh in the Western Conference, outside the top six automatic play-off places.
Suns coach Frank Vogel admitted his team were not at Boston’s level, but insisted there was plenty of time for improvement, with the start of the post-season looming in April.
“We’re just not quite where they are yet,” he said. “But that’s the key word – yet.
“We’re going to keep growing, we’re going to keep getting better. We’re in our first year together; those guys have been together eight years or something.”
Elsewhere, the Bucks produced a fourth-quarter rally to defeat the Philadelphia 76ers 114-105 at home.
The Sixers, still without injured NBA Most Valuable Player Joel Embiid, led by 10 early in the third quarter but were gradually reeled in by the home side.
Giannis Antetokounmpo led Milwaukee’s scoring with 32 points, with Brook Lopez adding 19 and Damian Lillard 17.
Tyrese Maxey shouldered the Sixers’ offensive burden with 30 points, including five-of-nine from three-point range.
With Malik Beasley and Khris Middleton both sidelined, A.J. Green saw an increase in his playing time for the Bucks.
The guard played a season-high 28 minutes off the bench.
He scored 14 points and had five rebounds.
“Yeah, just playing as a team (and) sticking together and trusting for 48 minutes,” Green said of the win.
“We battled in that second half, it kind of got a little bit tougher. (We got) a little more disciplined and it paid off.”
The victory also continued Milwaukee coach Doc Rivers’ perfect record against his former clubs since he joined the Bucks in January.
In another game, the Los Angeles Clippers closed the gap on Western Conference leaders the Oklahoma City Thunder with a comfortable 126-111 road win over the Chicago Bulls.
Chicago led briefly early in the first quarter but the Clippers took over and led for the remainder of the game, opening up a 21-point advantage towards the end of the fourth quarter.
Paul George finished with 28 points, including six-of-seven from three-point distance, while Kawhi Leonard added 27.
The Clippers improved to 42-23 with the victory to remain fourth in the West, 3½ wins behind leaders Oklahoma City (46-20). AFP
