In a stunning display of fandom, a sea of Boston fans inundated the Houston Rockets‘ arena, transforming it into a home-game-type setting for the Boston Celtics. Jayson Tatum posted a modest 18-point contribution on an off-shooting night. However, Kristaps Porzingis stepped up to the challenge. He spearheaded the scoring with 32 points, knocking down six three-pointers and maintaining a shooting accuracy of over 50%. Derrick White secured a notable double-double, amassing 21 points and 11 rebounds. However, the standout performance of the night came from Jaylen Brown.

Despite a relatively low-scoring output of 13 points, Brown showcased his versatility by achieving a triple-double, complemented by 10 assists and 11 rebounds. However, Brown had to overcome a challenging start to the game, courtesy of a self-backboard alley-oop mishap that initially disrupted his rhythm.

Jaylen Brown addresses early hiccup

In the game’s opening minutes, Brown executed a pump fake on Dillon Brooks near the free-throw line. Seizing the opportunity with the lane cleared, Brown opted for a backboard alley-oop attempt. Unfortunately, as he threw the ball to the board and tried to slam it for the game’s first points, he could not generate enough vertical lift. When a reporter brought up the incident in the post-game interview, Brown couldn’t contain his laughter and admitted, “It looked great up here though [pointing at his head], but not so much in real life.”

While Brown struggled to generate enough lift in that specific play, the Celtics did not. They bounced back after their loss to the defending champions, the Denver Nuggets.

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Contributing to Brown’s early challenges could also be the presence of the Celtics’ former coach, Ime Udoka, who now leads the Rockets. Udoka directed his squad to focus heavily on defending Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. The Rockets boast a top-10 defensive rating in the league and have enough in their lineup to make things difficult on the court.

After Udoka, the Celtics are lined up for another reunion

Following their encounter with their former coach, the Celtics are set to confront one of their former big men, Grant Williams, as they travel to face the Dallas Mavericks. Williams spent the initial four seasons of his career in Boston. With their core fundamentals, he evolved into a valuable rotation player, often helping them close out games. However, due to expectations of more playing time and a lucrative contract, Williams and Celtics parted ways.

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Over his tenure, Williams garnered numerous fans within Boston. However, contrasting emotions might soon occur as the upcoming matchup will also include facing Kyrie Irving. Given the lingering resentment from fans over Kyrie’s decision to part ways with the Celtics, they have found various ways to express their disapproval, often booing to convey their sentiments.