NBA EASTERN CONFERENCE FINALS: HEAT VS. CELTICS

May 17, 2023

Jaylen Brown

Boston Celtics

Game 1: Postgame

Miami Heat 123, Boston Celtics 116

Q. Jaylen, you guys lost a couple of Game 1s here. Obviously we know it's not the end of the world, but how long can you have these situations where you're losing a Game 1 before you think it starts to catch up to you?

JAYLEN BROWN: I don't know. We'll see. All we can do is come out and put our best foot forward. Tonight Miami outplayed us from the tip, especially in that third quarter. I think we lost the game in that third quarter. I don't know, we've just got to keep playing each game.

Q. In your mind what happened in the third quarter?

JAYLEN BROWN: I feel like they got going. We gave them some easy looks in transition, and defensively our intensity wasn't where it needed to be. We were up 10, I guess we were a little comfortable. To start the [third] quarter they turned it up and ended up finishing the quarter -- we were up 10 to start coming out of halftime and finished being down 10 going into the fourth quarter. That just can't happen.

Q. Your elbow, did you take a hit?

JAYLEN BROWN: Yeah, I'm all right.

Q. Jaylen, Marcus mentioned physicality. He used that word probably a handful of times when he was in here. What does that come down to, meeting that level? Is it a decision, conversations before the game? What does that come down to on a night-to-night basis?

JAYLEN BROWN: It's a choice. It's a decision. Just come out and play with a different mentality. We came out too cool. It was just almost like we were just playing a regular-season game. It's the Eastern Conference Finals. Like, come on.

We've got to play with more intensity than we did today. We've just got to be better, including me.

Q. Jaylen, Joe mentioned you guys veering away from the game plan to some degree. What were some examples you thought of how that might have happened?

JAYLEN BROWN: Defensively, for sure. The intensity that we had in the last series, we did not start today with that. I think bottom line that's what the game plan is. I thought we got a lot of great looks on offense. But defense is going to obviously help propel us to get to where we want to get to, and defensively tonight we weren't good enough. We gave up 123 points, and whatever -- the game plan should be defense.

Q. Al mentioned yesterday there being some lightness, some looseness at practice. Joe thought you guys were prepared enough for this game. Do you feel the same way coming out of yesterday?

JAYLEN BROWN: Yeah, I think we felt good. I felt good. I thought we had a good game plan going into the game. It just lacked intensity. They came out -- give credit to Miami; they came out and they outplayed us. From the jump, they were more physical and they outplayed us. They shot the ball well. That's how they won the games. Especially in that third quarter, we got loose with the ball, et cetera. But we've got to be better.

Q. Jaylen, you certainly know these guys very well, they know you. How do you respond from this in the sense of you kind of knew what might happen tonight, and how do you look at it going forward now that they've delivered the first blow?

JAYLEN BROWN: We've just got to keep playing basketball. We're too far to hang our heads. We're too far to look back and be like, the series is over. It's one game. So we've just got to get ready to play the next one. Made some mistakes tonight. Got a great opportunity the next game on Friday to come out and play and lift our intensity. I'm looking forward to it.

Q. Jaylen, after the game you and Tony looked like you were going over some film. A lot of guys after the game want to decompress. Why did you want to get back into it, and how important is that level of focus to actually beat a team like Miami?

JAYLEN BROWN: Just going over some of the details. That's it, just trying to figure out what went wrong and where things went wrong. But ultimately we've all just got to watch film tomorrow as a team and come out with a better intensity level, and I think we'll be better.

Q. Jaylen, offensively you guys had I think 10 turnovers in the second half there. You mentioned being able to space the ball. Were they changing anything up on you guys defensively to force you into tough reads there? What did you see from that standpoint?

JAYLEN BROWN: Yeah, a little bit of both. A little bit of casualness, a little bit of spacing, but also just being strong with the ball. We've just got to be better. Ain't no excuses. We know what they do, how they are. We've got to be better. It starts with me.