73 points in a game! 60-point triple-double! No, these are not imaginary stats. This is what Luka Doncic does to his opponents when he finds his groove. And many believe he is currently the most lethal offensive player in the league. However, Luka could not replicate these numbers during the NBA Finals against the Celtics. Thanks to Jaylen Brown, who took on the challenge of guarding the Mavs star. And the Finals MVP detailed how he was able to contain the Slovenian sensation using a unique analogy.

Diving deeper into his defensive mindset, JB said, “Being an elite defender, you gotta study guys’ rhythm… If you see like certain guys, they play to a certain beat, to a certain cadence. They play in a certain style. And if you know their style, you can time what they’re gonna do next because you know their rhythm and the BPM that they kind of play at.” Sure enough, studying these unique patterns has helped JB understand the Mavs talisman’s game.

“Luka has a unique rhythm. It’s almost so slow that it’s hard to time,” he remarked. Yes, unlike most stars in the league who are fast-paced and use their athleticism to dominate and catch the opponent off their tracks, the Slovenian usually likes to slow the game down and control the pace to make better reads. He’s been highly successful in playing that style of ball. But Brown seemingly cracked the code and limited Luka to averaging only 29.2 points and 5.6 assists in the Finals!

Sure, these look like incredible numbers for any hooper. But Luka averaged 33.9 points and nearly 10 assists in the regular season. So, keeping him under thirty points was a huge success for Jaylen Brown and the Boston Celtics.

“Some guys only go right, some guys only go left, some guys have two moves that they go to. So, I look at basketball as poetry in motion, which is music. And everybody is playing their own song… If you want to stop them, you gotta study their rhythm, you gotta learn when their beat is about to drop,” Brown added on Hot Ones while breaking down his technique to guard Luka.

Jaylen Brown appreciated ‘killer’ Luka Doncic for bringing the best out of him in the NBA Finals

Well, Jaylen Brown might not have bagged the Finals MVP trophy had it not been for his elite defense on Luka. With most of his numbers lower than Jayson Tatum, many even questioned why the latter did not win the trophy instead. However, averaging 20.8 points and nearly 6 rebounds while guarding a talent like Luka Doncic was no easy feat for JB. Sure enough, he acknowledged the Slovenian sensation’s greatness right away.

While JB and Luka were sharing a hug after the Celtics won the title, Brown said to the Mavs star, “Luka, you’re a killer. You got the best out of me. I love you, bro.” Sure enough, the Dallas veteran reciprocated the gesture, saying, “I love you too, bro.”

Not only Luka Doncic, but even guarding Kyrie Irving, posed a massive challenge for Jaylen Brown as he revealed, “Kyrie has a unique rhythm as well. Very one of one.” With Kai’s ability to pivot off both feet, drive from both sides and shoot with both hands, JB claimed that his moves were “very hard to time” and his rhythm is “very hard to track.”

Guarding offensive weapons like Luka and Kyrie at the biggest stage would surely have helped JB elevate his game. Do you agree?

Before leaving, do watch the Dual Threat Show hosted by BG12 where Bulldogs’ Asia Avinger details her experience with Kobe Bryant, her WNBA ROTY picks, and more in the video below.