NBA EASTERN CONFERENCE FINALS: HEAT VS. CELTICS

May 19, 2023

Jaylen Brown

Boston Celtics

Game 2: Postgame

Miami Heat 111, Boston Celtics 105

Q. Jaylen, seemed like down the stretch there in the final six minutes or so of the fourth quarter Miami really took control and dictated the pace. How did that happen?

JAYLEN BROWN: I think they outplayed us. They out-toughed us tonight and they found a way to make plays down the stretch and we didn't.

Q. It seems like the late-game execution has been a recurring issue for you guys. What's happening in the last few minutes that's leading to the turnovers, the offensive fouls and giving up the offensive rebounds?

JAYLEN BROWN: Just think that, one, we just got to stay poised. I think we get sped up at times. Two, we just play basketball. In those moments we got to come alive. It seems like we let the game slip away from us when we are in those situations.

Q. The zone, you guys were able to kind of break through, get in, move the ball and then crunch time you guys never really got the ball inside of it, kind of just kept swinging it around. Every time they closed out, you guys couldn't quite get past them. You know that's what Miami is going to do. You've faced them for several years now in the same round. When you guys know what to expect and you have the talent to do it, how come you don't think you are able to get past them?

JAYLEN BROWN: They do a good job of mixing up of when they go zone, and when they go man, they keep you on the toes with the people that they got on the floor. We just haven't figured it out in terms of how to exploit it every single time down the floor. We got to recognize certain situations, and credit to them defensively, they have been able to hide some of their guys defensively in order to slow us down on offense.

Q. You guys missed a bunch of open looks at the end that any one of those going down could have changed it. This has happened a few times throughout this playoff run where you just missed open shots. At what point do you feel like especially when the season gets closer to being on the line that you guys just need to try to create a look that works for you rather than taking the shot that comes to you?

JAYLEN BROWN: Yeah, I mean, I thought we got some great looks. Me personally, I thought I had some great looks down the line that didn't go in. Can't stop our aggressiveness. We're going into a hostile environment and we got to do what needs to be done. So, we got to come ready to play.

Q. When it comes to the fourth-quarter execution, do you feel that you guys are as connected as you need to be and the trust is there in one another or do you feel at times guys are looking to make their own plays in terms of not maybe trusting the structure?

JAYLEN BROWN: No, I think that we pretty much run the sets. We just got to be more forceful with the ball. At the same time, we can't get too apprehensive. We got to still be aggressive and take what the defense gives us. But step in and knock shots down with confidence. I think we start to look in situations and we should just go. I think that's it.

Q. Did Grant Williams make a mistake poking the bear with Jimmy Butler?

JAYLEN BROWN: Next question.

Q. In those moments when Jimmy starts to come alive, how does your team need to respond and kind of fight back against that?

JAYLEN BROWN: Defensively just continue to fight. This team is going to fight from the beginning to end. Hey, that's what they do. Those little moments of lapses cost us. Giving up threes, not being into the body, offensive rebounds, that stuff has an effect on the game. We got to be better. I got to be better.

Q. For you individually, you had a tough night. Were they doing anything to you to take you out of your flow? Early on in the game, how do you assess yourself there?

JAYLEN BROWN: I think they just are mixing up when to go man, when to go zone. Trying to guard me with guys that, you know, are obvious guys that you would attack but using the rest of the guys to kind of help and pinch down, making it tough to get to the basket and things like that. Also mixing up their reads in the zone, being alert. We'll figure it out. I'll figure it out.

Q. Is it mental? I mean going back to the bubble they just seem to be the tougher team down the stretch, games 1 and 2, they just seemed to, they know they can catch you. Jimmy knows he can get to his spots. Is it mental and how do you guys try to recapture that where you have the edge?

JAYLEN BROWN: Just got to come out fighting, play basketball. I think both of these two games they have been able to come out on top, but who is to say we can't come out on top in the next two games. We just got to come ready to play basketball, can't lose our confidence. It's the first to four. It should make for a better story.

Q. How do you guys not lose, keep your confidence when that's probably going to be an issue over the next 48 hours?

JAYLEN BROWN: Oh, we got no choice. We have no choice. Shake it off. Obviously, we let two games here on our home court down, let our fan base down, let, you know, everybody down. But we got opportunities still in front of us. So, you look forward to it and you get up and you play basketball.

Q. We saw it in the third quarter in Game 1 and then the last six or so minutes tonight, what does this team have to do when you get challenged, when you get a punch to the face, to respond and have an answer when the lights get brightest and the stage grows?

JAYLEN BROWN: Be mature, be poised in those moments. This is a veteran team. Like they are good at exposing your weaknesses, they're good at feeding off of indecision. Continue to be aggressive and just continue to be yourself. It's a challenge mentally, it's a challenge physically, they're disciplined. We just got to be -- we got to overcome. We got to find a way to win one and then we go from there.

Q. Why no mask tonight?

JAYLEN BROWN: My face is feeling a lot better, so I just went without the mask today.

Q. Is that something that can fluctuate game to game or are you done with it?

JAYLEN BROWN: I might be done. But we'll see.