Celtics finish off successful road trip in dramatic fashion

Jaylen Brown prides himself on being in tip-top shape. 

But the 30-plus minutes he had played – the most since he returned to action after suffering a concussion earlier this month – and the usual fatigue players not used to the altitude change in Utah, were setting in at the worst time – late in the fourth quarter of a tightly contested game. 

It didn’t matter. 

Regardless of the opponent, regardless of how well or worn out players may feel, the Boston Celtics have consistently found a way to beat the odds and in doing so, emerge with more than their share of unexpected victories. 

Wednesday’s 97-94 win over Utah was no exception, as Brown drained a 3-pointer with 0.3 seconds to play for what was the game-winning shot.

“It felt good,” Brown told reporters following the win. “I had nothing left for OT (overtime).”

And thanks to Brown, that was not something they had to think or worry about as Boston capped off its final West coast trip of the season with a perfect 4-0 record.

“That’s a great way to go home,” said Boston’s Shane Larkin.

Here are the Stars, Studs and Duds from Boston’s 97-94 win over the Utah Jazz capped off by Brown’s game-winning shot. 

 

STARS

Jaylen Brown: Boston’s second-year wing came up when it mattered most, draining a 3-pointer at the top of the key with 0.3 seconds to play that capped off a 9-0 Celtics run in which his basket with 0.3 seconds to play was Boston’s only lead in the fourth. 

Donovan Mitchell: A front-runner for rookie of the year, Mitchell did a nice job of creating switches defensively that allowed him to attack slower-footed defenders for scores or potential free throws when fouled. He led all scorers with 22 points on 7-for-20 shooting to go with six assists. 

 

STUDS

Jayson Tatum: It was Tatum’s play at the start that set the tone for Boston, and it was Tatum’s dunk with 69 seconds to play that tied the game at 94 which obviously helped set up Brown’s game-winner. 

Jae Crowder: The former Celtic gave the Utah Jazz a nice lift, which included strong play at both ends of the floor in the third quarter that helped the Jazz take a double-digit lead. Crowder finished with 16 points on 7-for-14 shooting. 

Aron Baynes: Celtics head coach Brad Stevens talked about the need for Aron Baynes to make open elbow jumpers because there would be a good chance that the Jazz would leave him open. They did just that, and Baynes made them pay by scoring 13 points on 6-for-8 shooting from the field. 

Ricky Rubio: The veteran point guard flirted with a triple-double before finishing with 14 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds. 

Shane Larkin: He has had better games for the Celtics, but few as impactful as what we saw on Wednesday night who made all the right plays, all the right decisions for the Celtics when it mattered most. The game-winner made by Jaylen Brown was set up in part by Larkin’s drive to the basket which sucked in the Utah defense that allowed Brown to ultimately be free for the 3-pointer. 

 

DUDS

Third quarter Celtics: Boston’s defense took a step back in the third quarter, seeing their halftime lead wiped out by a 30-10 run by the Jazz which put them up by 11 points. But to Boston’s credit, the Celtics were able to close the quarter out with a 9-2 spurt.