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Jaylen Brown, Boston Celtics

Jaylen Brown and the Boston Celtics came up short against the Philadelphia 76ers in Game 2 of the first round of the NBA playoffs. 

The Celtics were riding high after a dominant Game 1 victory that saw them treat the Sixers like a junior varsity squad. Boston got out to a big early lead and never looked back. The crowd suffocated the Sixers as much as any Derrick White steal or Neemias Queta block at the rim.

Then the energy flipped in Game 2. 

Philadelphia received major performances from star guard Tyrese Maxey and outstanding rookie VJ Edgecombe.

Edgecombe, 20, left the game twice after taking a hard fall, but he ultimately drilled the Celtics for six 3-pointers en route to a historic 30-point, 10-rebound outing. He became the first rookie since Tim Duncan in 1998 to record such a statline.

The Celtics could chalk up that Game 2 loss as an anomaly. After all, they were at the wrong end of a performance that hasn’t been replicated by a rookie in 28 years. 

But with the series shifting to the City of Brotherly Love, Boston must lock in to avoid an unexpected 2-1 deficit. 

Jaylen Brown Added to His Historic Campaign Despite Loss

When Brown does something worthy of long discussion after the game, it is often because the Celtics won — sometimes by a lot.

But that wasn’t the case Tuesday night.

In the 111-97 loss, Brown poured in 36 points in 38 minutes. After the game, the Celtics announced on X that Brown recorded double-digits in scoring for a remarkable 100th game in a row.

Although Brown’s efficiency was below par and the Celtics lost a game it should’ve won, this milestone cannot be dismissed. Few players have a double-figure scoring streak including the playoffs. 

For the Celtics to know they can count on Brown’s consistent availability and scoring is massive. This is something most teams can only dream about. 

Indeed, Brown is an ideal player to lead a championship-hopeful team like Boston. His team will need him to maintain consistency over the coming weeks.

GettyATLANTA, GEORGIA – MARCH 30: Jaylen Brown #7 of the Boston Celtics shoots over Jalen Johnson #1 of the Atlanta Hawks. (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images)

Pivotal Game 3 on Tap

A Philly-Boston playoff battle surely never disappoints. Even if the Celtics go on to win this series in five, it shouldn’t surprise anyone if all the games produce a close score. These clubs know each other very well. 

But for the Celtics, the expectations are high, which means the pressure is, too. 

The Sixers are without Joel Embiid and will likely continue to miss him the rest of the series — but that only means they are playing with house money and zero expectations. All eyes are on Brown and the C’s.

In other news, the resurgence of Jayson Tatum should give the Celtics all the confidence they need to get back to the NBA Finals. After all, there is perhaps no better duo in the East than Brown and Tatum, who have been to multiple Finals together and have won a championship. 

Game 3 will be played in Philadelphia in front of those same fans that broke out the “we want Boston!” chants last week. 

Well, those fans are about to get Boston. And they’ll let out a wide-mouth scream with every Celtics miss.

The third game of this series is set to tip at 7:00 p.m. on Friday night.