What happens when the forces of the East and West come face-to-face? An intense game to remember. That’s what TD Garden witnessed on Monday as their home boys, the Boston Celtics met the Houston Rockets. Both teams are the second seed of the Eastern and Western Conference respectively. And for the night, it wasn’t Jaylen Brown & Co. who had the last laugh. In a tight game, the C’s lost 112-114 against the Rockets as their 29-year-old guard Dillon Brooks stole the show.

Dillon Brooks isn’t a name that echoes daily in NBA circles. But on Monday, against the reigning champs, he flipped the script. Brooks was a revelation, a hidden ace in Houston’s deck. He dropped 36 points, unstoppable and electrifying, proving he’s a game-changer when it matters most.

Meanwhile, for the Boston Celtics, it was a game to forget but a lesson to work on in the upcoming games. Thus speaking to the media in the post-game presser, Jaylen Brown who registered a 28-point game at TD Garden addressed the matters. The forever-honest JB, sending a strong message for the locker room, said: “We live with the results. But you know, going forward is something we take into account.”

Speaking about Brooks the 28-year-old shooting guard mentioned: “I think tonight before our game plan, we wasn’t, I mean nobody would have expected Dillon Brooks to hit 10 threes and it happened tonight. So you know, I think we live with it.” Boston’s defense came prepared, but even their best couldn’t contain Brooks’ career-high shooting masterclass.

The Celtics surely played a flawed game despite their defensive strategies. The stats suggest that the defending champions were ahead of the Rockets in every aspect. Be it turnovers, FG% or FT%. Surely losing the game by two points would be nothing less than an eyesore for Joe Mazzulla who has also expressed himself after Dillon Brook’s big night.

Celtics’ HC shares Jaylen Brown’s sentiments about Dillon Brooks

The Houston Rockets guard’s game was a sight to behold. There were ten iconic moments of Dillon Brooks scoring from the 3-point line while Jaylen Brown and Co. stood. Watching. I mean, what else could they even do? And for sure, Rockets HC Ime Udoka is one happy person after taking home some crucial points from Monday’s game. But Joe Mazzulla took it as a lesson learned. In the post-game interview, the media wanted to know if Brooks’ antics on the court affected him.

Mazzulla responded: “That’s part of the game you know. He’s a competitor.” Meanwhile, JB’s teammate, Kristaps Porzingis was whistled for a technical foul after bumping Dillon Brooks in the first quarter. The Rockets’ big guy was asked whether the bump from Porzingis provided him some extra fuel in the win and took a little jab at the big man. He said: “Nah, nothing motivated me. I’ve been motivated since before I stepped on the floor. I wanted to get a win in TD. Haven’t won ever, so I was motivated to try to make a difference. I like playing against bigs that are slow.”

At the same time, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown credited their rival Dillon Brook for the surprise he brought to the game. JB also admitted: “We wanted to take Jalen [Green], Fred [VanVleet], and [Alperen] Sengun away, and we kind of accomplished that. But Dillon Brooks and Amen Thompson made us pay.” And JT chipped in saying, “He hit 10 threes tonight. It’s tough. Didn’t account for that at all.”

Simply put, the Houston Rockets unleashed their secret card, catching the Boston Celtics unprepared. Surely, Brown’s 28 points and JT’s 19 points were a boost to the score, but the big wall of 3-points named Dillon Brooks ruined their game plan. Meanwhile, the 2024 Final MVP’s words should echo in the C’s locker room by now as they prepare for their next game vs. the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday. Can they bounce back?