Jaylen Brown delivered a dominant performance to lead the Boston Celtics to a 120-112 victory over the Phoenix Suns at TD Garden on Monday night, further strengthening his MVP candidacy. The five-time All-Star erupted for a game-high 41 points, including 18 in the fourth quarter, to help Boston improve to 45-23 overall and 23-10 at home.
Brown was unstoppable throughout the contest, shooting 10-of-20 from the field while adding seven rebounds and six assists. His aggression paid off at the free-throw line, where he attempted a career-high 21 free throws and converted 19 of them—accounting for nearly half of his scoring output. Before the game, he was averaging just seven free throws per contest.
The Suns had no answer for Brown’s relentless attacks, as he consistently drew fouls and stayed aggressive all evening. In contrast, the rest of the Celtics combined for only six free-throw attempts, while Boston went 25-of-27 overall from the line. Phoenix finished 25-of-29.
During his postgame interview, Brown was visibly stunned when informed about his 21 free-throw attempts. As captured in the video shared by Legion Hoops, the 29-year-old reacted with surprise:
“Man, I ain’t never ever got to the free throw line that much. It’s crazy,” Brown said.
Embed X: https://twitter.com/LegionHoops/status/2033730110839456122
He acknowledged that his style of play—driving hard and putting constant pressure on defenders—remained consistent, but the calls went his way more than usual.
“I feel like that’s how I normally play. But today, I guess I got called a little differently. I’m grateful. I was able to knock them down and we were able to get the win,” he added.
Brown received strong support from his teammates. Jayson Tatum contributed 21 points, seven rebounds, and four assists in his fifth game back from an Achilles injury. Derrick White added 21 points (including five three-pointers), four rebounds, and five assists, while Payton Pritchard came off the bench with 19 points, four rebounds, and six assists.
With Brown performing at an elite level, Tatum regaining his form, and the supporting cast stepping up, the Celtics are shaping up to be a formidable force heading into the playoffs. Brown’s shocking realization about his free-throw total only underscored just how dominant—and unexpected—his night truly was.