Jaylen Brown and the Boston Celtics sent a thunderous message to the rest of the NBA on Saturday night, storming past the Los Angeles Clippers in a 146-115 blowout at the Intuit Dome. Brown, who’s been on a mission all season, matched his career high with a dazzling 50-point performance, joining the rarefied air of Celtics legends. And let’s be honest—if folks weren’t paying attention before, they’ve got to be now.
For Brown, this wasn’t just another night at the office. After being overlooked for Eastern Conference Player of the Month honors in December, he responded with one of the most dominant outings of his career. Shooting a blistering 18-of-26 from the field, Brown added five assists, three rebounds, and finished with a plus-21 rating. The crowd showered him with “MVP” chants as he exited in the fourth quarter, a fitting tribute to a player who’s been carrying the Celtics on his back during a season full of adversity.
“They said we was gonna win 30 games this year,” Brown remarked earlier in the week, reflecting on preseason doubts that swirled around Boston after Jayson Tatum’s Achilles injury. “I want y’all to keep count.” Well, the Celtics are certainly keeping count—and so is the rest of the league.
With this win, Boston improved to 22-12, capping off a successful 4-1 west coast road trip and notching their third straight victory. The Clippers, who entered the contest riding a six-game win streak, were left searching for answers as Brown and company lit up the scoreboard for a season-high in points. John Collins and Kawhi Leonard did their best to keep L.A. afloat, each scoring 22, but it was never enough to match Boston’s relentless pace.
It wasn’t just Brown who shined. Derrick White poured in 29 points on 10-of-20 shooting, showing off his own scoring touch, while Anfernee Simons came off the bench to add 15 points. Jordan Walsh contributed a double-double with 13 points and 13 rebounds, and Sam Hauser made the most of his sixth start by knocking down key shots early. Boston’s starting five—rounded out by Payton Pritchard and Neemias Queta—came out firing, hitting 9-of-12 with four three-pointers in the game’s opening minutes and racing to a 22-15 lead before the first substitutions.
The Celtics’ offense was humming from the jump, finishing the first quarter with a 42-28 lead on 62.5% shooting and seven made threes. Even when the bench checked in, the momentum didn’t slow—Simons buried a pair of transition threes, and Luka Garza’s defense helped spark fast-break opportunities. By halftime, Boston held a comfortable 71-63 advantage, with White already over 20 points and Brown well on his way to a special night.
In the third quarter, Brown simply took over. He crossed the 30-point threshold halfway through the period, draining stepback threes and dishing out assists. Simons kept the pressure on with three third-quarter triples, and Boston’s lead ballooned. The Clippers tried to rally, but Brown’s shot-making and playmaking were just too much. When double teams came, he found open teammates—like Walsh, who knocked down a big three as the Celtics kept piling on.
Brown’s 50th point came on a contested floater with four minutes left, capping a night that will be remembered for years to come. “JAYLEN BROWN DROPPED 50 TONIGHT,” the NBA’s official account exclaimed on social media, underscoring the magnitude of the feat. With this performance, Brown joined Jayson Tatum and Larry Bird as the only Celtics in franchise history with multiple 50-point games, and became just the fourth player in team history with at least 15 40-point outings—joining the elite company of Tatum, Bird, and Paul Pierce.
It’s not just the scoring totals that have people talking. Brown has elevated his game in every facet, increasing his season average to 30.1 points per game—matching Tatum’s franchise record at the time. He’s also taken on more playmaking duties, dictating pace, absorbing defensive attention, and creating for teammates. As the Celtics have battled through injuries and rotation changes, Brown’s leadership and production have anchored the team near the top of the Eastern Conference.
But for all his heroics, Brown’s MVP candidacy hasn’t always gotten the national love it deserves. Hall of Famer Paul Pierce, speaking on the "No Fouls Given" podcast, didn’t mince words: “Nobody had the Celtics being in third place in the East with no Tatum. The guy is putting up 30 consistently.” Pierce noted that while stars like Cade Cunningham, Victor Wembanyama, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and Nikola Jokic are getting plenty of attention, Brown “has to get some type of recognition. I mean, this guy is a 30-point walking bucket, and he should be in there.”
That sentiment is echoed throughout the Celtics’ locker room. Payton Pritchard, speaking on NBA on Prime, emphasized that Boston isn’t content with just overachieving. “We’re not sitting here like, ‘Oh, we’re third, let’s celebrate,’” Pritchard said. “We’re used to being first and winning championships. We’re trying to be the No. 1 seed and work our way back into that championship conversation.”
Boston’s resilience has been rooted in habits, not hype. Despite losing Tatum and seeing several players—including Derrick White and Anfernee Simons—shoot below their career averages from deep, the Celtics have maintained the best net rating in the Eastern Conference entering the new year. That’s a testament to their defense, ball movement, and the ability to close games without shortcuts. Advanced metrics suggest there’s even more upside once some shooting luck returns.
Looking ahead, the Celtics expect an even brighter future as Jayson Tatum works toward his eventual return. His presence will open up the floor, relieve pressure on Brown, and give shooters like White and Simons cleaner looks. For now, though, it’s Brown’s show—and what a show it’s been.
The Celtics return home to TD Garden on Monday, January 5, to face the Chicago Bulls in their first home game since December 22. With momentum on their side and a chip on their shoulder, Boston looks poised to keep silencing doubters and rewriting the narrative—one game at a time.