NBA EASTERN CONFERENCE FINALS: CELTICS VS. HEAT

September 25, 2020

Jaylen Brown

Boston Celtics

Game 5: Postgame

Boston Celtics 121, Miami Heats 108

Q. Brad was caught on the microphone during the second half saying that's what happens when you play as hard as you guys are playing. Can you just talk about what changed for you guys in the second half? What got you to play with that level of effort?

JAYLEN BROWN: We knew in the first half that we were playing with a lot of energy, but it was kind of all over the place. We just had to dial it in. We had the right mindset from the beginning of the game, but it was a little bit all over the place.

Once we settled in a little bit, kept that same intensity, it worked out for us.

Q. After the first half, did you feel like you were flat again? Did you feel like you played better this first half or shots weren't going down? How did you feel at halftime?

JAYLEN BROWN: We were playing a little bit fast, a little bit antsy. We were trying to win the game in the first half. We just needed to stay with it, keep making the right play, just settle down a little bit. When we did, shots started going in.

Our defensive intensity was good. We gave up less baskets in the third quarter. We looked like the team that we all know and love.

Q. There's a lot happening outside of this bubble, things I'm sure you wish you were doing out there, family you want to see. What keeps a team when faced with elimination saying we're going to still fight?

JAYLEN BROWN: I think when we decided to stay and be here as a league, as players deciding, we came together. We have a tremendous platform here, being able to represent our organizations, our families, our communities, et cetera.

Just using that platform to not only play and inspire and let people know what we stand for out in the world, because a lot of times sports is the barometer for society. We're letting everybody Know, like, what our league and what our players are made of, what side we're on. That platform is tremendous.

Being able to come to work, being able to speak, represent your community, be a voice for the voiceless is absolutely phenomenal. It's easy to come and do that. I think that's us doing our part.

Q. How does the power of competition play a role in that, refusing to be done?

JAYLEN BROWN: That's just us. Like I said, there’s a lot of fight in our team. We came this far. We sacrificed so much. We've been here for a long time. If anything, if we wanted to go out, we want to go down fighting.

Q. Especially in the second half, how important was it to attack them in the paint, get into the middle of their defense?

JAYLEN BROWN: Super important. I think that's the key, just being aggressive. Miami is really good at making it seem like it's not open, have a lot of guys who have length, Crowder, Butler, even Robinson has length. You just got to do it anyway, play hard, with intensity.

We can cover for our mistakes if we play hard enough.

Q. What was said in the locker room at halftime? How important was it to come out, play free, remind yourselves what Celtics basketball looks like?

JAYLEN BROWN: What I remember of halftime is Kemba saying we just need to settle down a little bit. We all felt the intensity that we all had in the beginning. I don't think we came out flat. It was different from Game 4 for us. We had the intensity. It was just kind of a little bit all over the place. We had to dial in a little bit.

Once we did, I feel like we were fine.

Q. Denver is not the first team to come back from 3-1. When you're in the bubble, see a team like that do it twice, is there any discussion where you say that we can do this?

JAYLEN BROWN: We're just trying to take it one game at a time. I think that's our focus, that's our emphasis. We'll see what happens at the end. When we play hard, play with each other, fight, we'll see what the results come out to be.

But I think that's our focus, is just one game at a time.

Q. That was your fourth straight game shooting over 50%. Speak to the groove you're in offensively, the boost Theis gave you tonight.

JAYLEN BROWN: Yeah, Theis was great. Any time Theis is great, it's great for our team. He probably doesn't get the credit he deserves. He has a tough job every night. Big shout out to Theis. He had a great game today. Was probably signifier that we won in the manner we did.

For me, I'm just trying to be aggressive each and every night. I probably should be more aggressive, picking and finding spots. Where I can be aggressive is the key. Just keep being assertive, I feel like we'll be fine, I'll be fine.

Q. You had a close out against Herro where it looked like you jumped as high as humanly possible to try to affect the shot even though you were pretty far from him. You managed to force a miss and allow you guys to attach in transition. How does that dedication of closing out no matter what kick start your offense in the third quarter?

JAYLEN BROWN: I have no clue. I think probably he just missed the shot. If you ask him, it probably didn't affect him. If you think I did something right there, then I'll take it.