Celtics player Jaylen Brown overcomes All-NBA rejection with explosive second game against the Pacers

BOSTON — In the third quarter of Game 2 of the Eastern Conference finals, Indiana's Pascal Siakam threw a pass that Pacers teammate TJ McConnell mishandled. It took Jaylen Brown just a moment. The Celtics star rushed the ball, outran McConnell and finished despite Siakam's foul.

As Brown stood at the line, chants normally reserved for Jayson Tatum filled the TD Garden: “MVP! MVP!”

It was fitting recognition for Brown, who had been denied an All-NBA nomination 24 hours earlier, who scored a game-high 40 points in a 126-110 victory that gave the Celtics a 2-0 lead in a series that now heads to Game 3 in Indiana.

“He cares about the right things, but I think things like this motivate him,” Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla said.

Was this rejection the reason for Brown's career highlight in the playoffs?

“We're two games away from the final,” Brown added, “so I honestly don't have time to worry about it.”

He never mentioned the snub to his teammates during the morning shootaround, but: “We all felt he should have made one of the All-NBA teams, so it was a shame it didn't happen,” Tatum said.

As meaningful as Thursday was for Brown, Indiana's Tyrese Haliburton had a tough night. His nomination to the All-NBA Third Team was one of several things that kept Brown from that honor this season. In that same third quarter, Haliburton re-injured the left hamstring that had sidelined him for 10 games earlier in the season. His status for the rest of the series remains uncertain.

“We'll know more tomorrow and even more on Saturday,” Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said in response to a question about the status of his point guard, who had 10 points and eight assists in 28 minutes.

Haliburton's selection to the All-NBA team earns him a supermax contract similar to the one Brown signed last summer when he became the league's highest-paid player. The five-year, $286 million contract extension Brown received was a matter of timing. He was the only All-NBA player last year to get a new contract. The next contract signed by an All-NBA veteran (e.g. Tatum) will trump Brown's contract, and so on.

Yet Brown has been punished just as harshly for his pay, if only because outsiders do not see him as being on a par with the sport's greats. He can't even dribble with his left handthey said, and there was some truth to that when we lost in the Eastern Conference finals last season to the eighth-seeded Miami Heat. And what has Brown done? He's stepped up his game and elevated his performance, just as he's done for eight years now.

“I see guys being praised and anointed that I think are half as talented as me on both sides of the ball,” Brown said, “but at this point in my life, I just accept that. It's part of who I am and what I stand for, and I'm not going to change that. And I'm grateful that I get to step out there every night and play my best. I get better every year, and whether people appreciate that or not, it is what it is.”

What a luxury Brown is for these Celtics. Tatum, a first-team All-NBA player, struggled early in Game 2, scoring four points on eight shots in the first half, so Boston resorted to his best counterpart. Brown scored 17 of his 40 points in the second quarter as the Celtics went on a 17-0 run that changed the outcome. When Indiana's defense turned its attention from Tatum to Brown, the senior Celtics star showed off his improved passing. His two assists belied the number of chances he created through his play.

“He made the right play,” said Mazzulla, who expects the NBA to better assess Brown's potential and secondary assists, which is why his Game 2 is so important. “That's the most important thing.”

What's important about Brown often gets lost in the NBA discussion. He's not Boston's best scorer, but only 18 players averaged better than him this season. He's not Boston's best defender, but only 13 players received more All-Defensive First-Team votes than him this season. Only Anthony Davis, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander can say they're better than Brown in both aspects.

“I don't take that for granted,” Brown said. “I keep that in perspective no matter what is said or what is being talked about or discussed around me. I just try to contribute something of value on both ends of the court and I feel like there aren't many better players in this league.”

When it comes to Brown, for some reason we feel the need to point out the weaknesses we imagine he could be as the leader of his own team, rather than acknowledging how he brought his talents to this team – a 64-win team. Brown was already playing second fiddle to Tatum, and his role was further diminished when the Celtics signed Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porziņģis in the offseason. As easy as we think it should be to integrate into a team loaded with stars, it's difficult to be as effective with fewer opportunities.

But that's exactly what Brown has done. His scoring may be down, but his percentages are on par with last season, when he finished ninth in the league with 26.6 points per game. His 3.6 assists per game this season are a career high. He often takes on the responsibility of defending the opponent's best wing, taking that responsibility away from Tatum. His usage is down and his win percentages are up. That's Jaylen Brown.

And all of this without the slightest meaning.

Every new season is Brown's best, and that was all on display Thursday. He went back to shoot a three-pointer over Indiana's Obi Toppin. He snuck behind the defense to make an alley-oop. He bullied Siakam — an All-NBA talent who isn't easy to bully — in the box. He darted between two defenders in the pick-and-roll and finished around another. He dwarfed smaller defenders and brought bigger ones to the perimeter, only to ditch them.

“He's got it,” said Celtics guard Jrue Holiday, who finished Game 2 with another 15 points and 10 assists. “You see what I see. Great player, great leader, wants to win and takes things into his own hands. To have a guy like that on my side is great. I'm rooting for him. The way JB plays, man, is outstanding.”

Although Brown is not in contention for an All-NBA honor this season, he now has a chance to be named MVP of the Eastern Conference finals.