Celtics
Brown introduced an edge to the Celtics that helped push them to victory, Mazzulla mentioned.
In some way, Giannis Antetokounmpo retains discovering methods to have his elbow join with Jaylen Brown’s higher physique.
The final time the Bucks and Celtics met in Milwaukee, Antetokounmpo was whistled for an offensive foul after elbowing Brown.
As they walked again up the ground, Antetokounmpo pretended to supply Brown a handshake and pulled it again earlier than Brown might attain. Brown referred to as Antetokounmpo a “youngster” for his antics after the sport.
On Friday night time, Brown was whistled for a technical foul after Antetokounmpo hit him within the chest with an elbow early within the third quarter. Brown had scored on Antetokounmpo and did the “too little” celebration.
Antetokounmpo caught his elbow out as Brown walked by. Then, after the ball was inbounded, Brown and Antetokounmpo bumped into one another.
Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla mentioned the physicality helped ignite Brown’s sport. Brown poured in 25 factors to go together with three rebounds, three assists, and a block towards one turnover.
“I assumed the elbow to the face sort of ‘unlocked’ Jaylen slightly bit,” Mazzulla mentioned. “I assumed the technical was great by Jaylen and I assumed from then on in he simply introduced an edge to us and we had been capable of feed off of it.”
The Celtics, who had been up by 4 on the time of Brown’s technical foul, principally performed the Bucks to a draw for the remainder of the quarter. They wound up profitable by six.
Brown solely scored two extra baskets after his technical foul, however the momentum helped carry the Celtics to victory. Jayson Tatum led all scorers with a 34-point 10-rebound double-double.
Tatum paused for a beat when requested if he loved the physicality of the matchup earlier than smiling and saying “yeah.”
“It’s a advantageous line, proper? So long as it’s honest,” Tatum mentioned. “In the event that they get to drag and seize and push us, we should always have the ability to do the identical. And if that’s the way it’s going to be the entire sport, then I’ve no downside with that in any respect. It’s aggressive. It’s enjoyable. It’s a part of it.”
With Friday’s 111-105 win, the Celtics swept the regular-season sequence towards the Bucks. It was a bodily, playoff-like matchup.
Al Horford mentioned he appreciated that the refs let the 2 groups play with that degree of physicality.
“Yeah, that’s nice. Two actually good groups,” Horford mentioned. “Not all video games are the identical within the regular-season and this one had slightly extra to it. I used to be joyful that they allow us to play.”
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