NBA FINALS: CELTICS VS. MAVERICKS

June 14, 2024

Jaylen Brown

Boston Celtics

Game 4: Postgame

Dallas Mavericks 122, Boston Celtics 84

Q. You guys seemed to play decent for the first six minutes, and then just everything kind of went haywire. What happened out there? And in a close-out game, a game with such importance, why did you guys just play so poorly?

JAYLEN BROWN: I don't even know how to answer that. Next question.

Q. The first three games, the decision-making from you guys was pretty much like right on point. Seemed like this game, the decision-making was a little bit different. Was there something that changed that, or what did you see from that perspective?

JAYLEN BROWN: Give credit to Dallas. I think they played hard physically, and then they dominated the glass. I think that was the key that put a lot of pressure on us.

And then we didn't make shots tonight, and I think that's where, you know, we allowed them to play free, once we get them multiple opportunities to make shots, and then also we didn't hit shots on the other end.

We're going to look at the film and see where we can better, and then go from there.

Q. You guys have had so many different metaphors for understanding that when you're on top is when you're also most vulnerable to fall. So being in this situation for the first time and on the verge of clinching a championship, how do you feel like all those lessons you learned felt in that moment?

JAYLEN BROWN: It's a great opportunity to respond. Give credit to Dallas. They came out and they played with force, and they played great.

We just regroup. We keep our same mentality, and we come out and get ready to fight in another battle on our home floor.

Q. You've taken it upon yourself to be super vocal this year. What do you say to the guys after a game where, like you said, Dallas just played amazing and you guys have to move on right away?

JAYLEN BROWN: We learn from it. We take it. We don't dismiss it. We're going to learn from it. We're going to see how and why, exactly where the game was won and lost. And then we take those experiences and then we come out and we play like our life depends on it. Because it does.

Q. Do you feel like the opportunity to clinch tonight played any role in terms of the mentality of this game, and what did you learn about what it's going to take to close this group out?

JAYLEN BROWN: Close-out games are hard. Close-out games are tough. They always have been like that, and you've got to have extreme focus. You've got to come out and meet their intensity to finish things out.

So we didn't do that tonight. Give credit to Dallas. I thought they played extremely well. Those guys, they crashed, they rebounded and they played with force. Some of those other guys stepped up. We've got to be better and we've got to have some of our guys step up, and that's what it takes.

Q. One of the things you had success with in the first three games was keeping their three-point volume down, they got up more tonight and seemed to get into more of a rhythm of drive-and-kick. What were they doing differently to crowbar open more of those looks that you saw tonight?

JAYLEN BROWN: I felt like the pace slowed down a little bit which allowed them to dictate what they wanted to do. I think we have to continue to keep the pace but have some more poise. Just see where we can be better. We'll watch film and we'll see.

Right now, it feels raw, so we've just got to look at film and go from there.

Q. You've become some sort of heir apparent of the leadership role on this team, and there's been pushback, seven captains, I get it. But you really have one of the loudest voices on the team. What are you learning about yourself as a leader in losses and especially a loss like this?

JAYLEN BROWN: These are the moments that can make you or break you. We have to reassemble. We have to look at it and learn from it, and then we've got to embrace it and attack it. It's going to be hard to do what we're trying to do. We didn't expect anything to be easy, but it's no reason to lose our head.

Tip your cap to Dallas. They came out and played well, and we've just got to be better on the next one.

Q. What's the most important lesson you learned from tonight's game?

JAYLEN BROWN: I'm not sure as of yet. But we're going to watch it. We're going to learn from it. As of now, we've just got to be better. We have to meet their intensity. It's the NBA playoffs. It's the Finals. Looking forward to the next one.