Jaylen Brown is not only having a career-best season scoring the ball, but he’s approaching a legendary Larry Bird streak. Whenever a current Celtic can be in the same sentence as all-time greats like Bird, it’s a sign of how well they’re playing.
Brown scored 30 points in the Celtics’ blowout win over the Pacers on Friday, marking his eighth straight game hitting that 30-point plateau. That’s just one game off Bird’s streak, when he scored 30-plus points in nine straight games from Feb. 18, 1985, to March 3, 1985.
“To me, it’s just balance,” C’s coach Joe Mazzulla said of Brown, via the NBC Sports Boston broadcast. “He picks and chooses his spots really well. We’re obviously playing a little bit faster, so he’s getting some easy baskets in transition. I think he’s finding a great balance of knowing when to score within the offense vs. letting the guys kind of do their thing. I think it’s kind of letting him rest a little bit.
“He just spends a ton of time on reading the game and the execution of the game. Obviously, he’s very, very talented, and that has a lot to do with it. Just his desire to continue to work and play vs. different coverages has really helped.”
Brown has scored at least 30 points in all eight of his games in December. He did miss one of the Celtics’ nine games this month, but it’s regardless an impressive streak. The Celtics next play the Trail Blazers on Sunday, so another Brown scoring outburst will have him shoulder-to-shoulder with Bird.
It’s been a spectacular season for Brown as the Celtics’ No. 1 option with Jayson Tatum out due to his Achilles injury. Brown is averaging a career-best 29.4 points per game, shouldering a bulk of Boston’s scoring responsibilities. He’s put together this production by being an excellent midrange scorer, getting to his spots frequently.
While the streak is impressive, the consistency goes beyond just the eight straight games. Brown has scored 30-plus points in 11 of his last 12 games, plus 19 of his 28 games played. While Brown has garnered respect across the league — the 2024 NBA Finals MVP helped — this season has certainly turned some heads for him as a scorer.
“Just a tough player in this NBA,” Payton Pritchard said. “Should be in the MVP conversation, for sure. He shows it every night. JB is a tough cover. Can shoot it from all three levels. Athletic, strong and got a good handle and pull-up game.”