Jaylen Brown dominates in homecoming as Celtics demolish Hawks: 6 takeaways

"Brown had a monster game, albeit a short one - 41 points on 14-for-30 shooting to go with six rebounds and two assists in just 29 minutes since he sat the entire fourth quarter. Throughout the season, he has done a great job of getting his teammates involved, but his focus on Saturday appeared to be putting his head down and getting where he wanted to go, moving less physically gifted Hawks defenders out of the way with what appeared to be relative ease."

"Brown was coming off three relatively inefficient sub-30-point games, which - by his standards this season - counts as a cold stretch. His standard may be unreasonably high at this point, but to be fair, he's the one who put it up there by declaring himself the best two-way player in the world. An MVP candidate can go through a quieter stretch, but to keep himself in the conversation, he needs to bounce back in a big way, and Saturday's game was a great start."

"The loss to the Spurs showed the limits of what even Brown can do when attacking one of the most unique and devastating defensive presences the NBA has seen. But Saturday's game was an emphatic reminder that the Celtics revolve around Brown this season, even when others get themselves going. Brown warps the defense, and he gives the offense both a focal point when things are going right and an outlet when things are going wrong."

Jaylen Brown had his high-school jersey retired Friday and then scored 41 points in a 132-106 win over the Hawks. With Dyson Daniels out, Brown faced minimal resistance and used 14-for-30 shooting, six rebounds, and two assists in 29 minutes, sitting the entire fourth quarter. Brown attacked defenders decisively, moving less physical Hawks players aside to create offense. He had come off three inefficient sub-30-point games, raising pressure to rebound as an MVP candidate and self-proclaimed top two-way player. Prior losses showed limitations against elite defense, but the win emphasized Brown's central role in the Celtics' offense.

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