Jaylen Brown was on-fire against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Sunday.
His 33 points in 19 minutes showcase made NBA history and helped the Boston Celtics snap their three-game skid by blowing out the Cavaliers 141-103.
Jaylen Brown's 33 points in 19 minutes tonight are the most by any player in fewer than 20 minutes played during the shot clock era (1954-55). @EliasSports pic.twitter.com/UjAQB4gBUU
— NBA.com/Stats (@nbastats) January 25, 2021
He shot 13-of-20 from the field, 3-of-4 from beyond the arc, and a perfect 4-of-4 from the free-throw line while turning the ball over just once. His plus-minus of +31 was second only to teammate Daniel Theis' +33.
His spectacular performance caught the attention of the winningest player in NBA history - Bill Russell.
Great playing tonight @FCHWPO keep it going. @NBA @celtics
— TheBillRussell (@RealBillRussell) January 25, 2021
"He’s constantly working to improve," Celtics head coach Brad Stevens said postgame. He doesn’t play passive. And I think that his skill, his improvement and his aggressiveness are a good combination."
Brown's improved play this season is a huge reason why the Celtics are staying afloat, going 2-3 without All-Star Jayson Tatum - who's missed the last five games due to the NBA's Health & Safety protocols.
"He's one of the best young players in the game," teammate Marcus Smart said about Brown postgame. "I'm very proud of him."
Having played every game of the season so far, Brown is averaging career-highs in nearly stat and efficiency category - 27.3 points, 3.5 assists, and 1.5 steals on shooting splits of .532/.430/.778.
In his first four NBA seasons, he didn't have a single 40-point game and he already has two through the first quarter of the 2020-21 campaign.
Surely, that All-Star selection is coming if he keeps up this level of play.
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