Celtics-Heat Notebook: Jaylen Brown discusses knee injury management, Luke Kornet a bright spot in loss

BOSTON — The Celtics returned from a six-game road trip to face the streaking Miami Heat, who won five straight by an average of nearly 22 points heading into Wednesday’s match-up. And, as has been customary for the Celtics after long road trips, they came out flat in this one, falling to the Heat 124-103.

The Celtics trailed by as many as 22 in the second half but responded with a barrage of three-pointers to get back into the game. But, they ran out of gas in the fourth quarter and were never able to cut the deficit to less than 4 points in the final period before Joe Mazzulla waved the white flag with 5 minutes to go.

Kristaps Porzingis (return from illness reconditioning), Jrue Holiday (right shoulder impingement), and Al Horford (right toe sprain) all rested on Wednesday night as the Celtics continue to gear up for what they hope will be a long playoff run.

And, while the loss to Miami won’t have any impact on the standings, Joe Mazzulla made clear that the Celtics didn’t care about the final outcome.

“We’re all pissed,” he said. “I mean, we all hate losing, and that was my message. It was it’s good reminder that losing still sucks. So, I love the fact that the staff’s miserable, guys are pissed.”

The Celtics keep struggling after long roadtrips

The Celtics are drop to 4-7 at home immediately after a 2+ game-long road trip — and remain much better on the road (32-7) than at home (24-13 this season..

Jaylen Brown reflected on what makes that initial game back home after a road trip challenging.

“First game back, it’s always a tough one,” he said. “Just from a calibration standpoint, you’ve been in three different time zones, been away from home. You just get home and kind of get settled, and then you got to come play a basketball game. It be like that sometimes.”

Luke Kornet shared a similar sentiment about the challenges of returning home after being away for a few weeks.

“But quite frankly, it’s not really an excuse for night like tonight,” Kornet said. “We need to do a better job figuring that out and try to win those games.

Brown also emphasized that they wouldn’t simply dismiss those struggles.

“It’s not an excuse; of course, we don’t make excuses,” he said. “But, the first game back off a long road trip is always tough.”

Jaylen Brown continues to play through knee pain, shares update

Jaylen Brown returned from a one-game absence as he continues to manage his knee injury, finishing with 24 points (10-20 FG), 8 rebounds, and 4 assists in 28 minutes.

Brown missed 3 of the 6 games on the Western Conference road trip, but shared Wednesday that the 65-game minimum for award eligibility would not play a role in whether or not he would play down the stretch.

“I was in some pain today, but just pushing through it, trying to find ways to still be aggressive and add value to the team,” Brown said. “But, it’s just something I got to work through and manage.”

Mazzulla was encouraged by what he saw out of Brown.

“I liked the way he got to his spots,” he said. “I liked the way he competed defensively. To me, he just continued to look a little better and better each night. Much more comfortable out there. So, that was a positive for us and good to see.”

Brown said that part of this process has ben accepting that he won’t feel 100%, but still finding ways to be impactful.

“I’ve had to come to grips that every night, I’m not gonna feel my normal self,” he said. “But that doesn’t mean I still can’t make plays and things like that. It’s just something that we are working through. Today was a good step forward.”

Brown also shared that he’s met with several specialists and has a treatment plan ahead of the playoffs.

“I’ve got some stuff lined up with the medical staff in order to be and feel better come playoffs,” he said. “But, as for now, just mentally working through not feeling great, but still able to find ways to be effective.”

Mazzulla said he trusts his star about how to manage his minutes and availability down the stretch of the regular season.

“Whatever he thinks is best, we’ll do,” Mazzulla said.

Brown said he remains optimistic about feeling better in a couple of week.

“We’ve got a great medical staff, we’ve got good people around,” he said. “Come playoffs, my goal is to be feeling my best.”

Luke Kornet serves as bright spot in the loss

Luke Kornet, who started in this one, was the only player on the roster to finish with a positive +/-. Kornet scored 14 points on 7-9 shooting and grabbed 6 rebounds in 21 minutes.

Brown has been impressed with Kornet’s performance this season.

“Luke has been great,” he said. “He’s a great screen setter. And then also, if you hit him in the seam, he’s able to make those reads to the opposite corner, kick outs and then finish at the rim. He’s been a great lob threat for us all year. Luke has been playing – he has stepped up his game. He’s having a great season. But even as of late, he’s been playing spectacular. So we’re looking to just keep building that momentum going into the playoffs.”

Photo by Adam Glanzman/Getty Images

JD Davison wins MVP award and reflects on journey to become more vocal

Two-way player JD Davison found out he won G League MVP on Tuesday night after the Maine Celtics won their first playoff game, but the NBA officially announced the award on Wednesday morning.

Before Wednesday’s game against the Heat, Davison took the podium to discuss winning the award and his growth over the years.

This past season, he averaged 25.6 points, 5.1 rebounds, 7.7 assists, and 1.4 steals while shooting 48.2% from the field and a career-best 33.3% from three.

But, one of the biggest areas of growth so far has been his ability to be vocal and feel comfortable in the Celtics locker room.

“My first year, I just came in the locker room, just did my work, and I just left,” Davison said. “Now, last year and this year, I think I talk to the guys more and more about anything honestly, but especially about college basketball.”

Davison said his mom always listens to his interviews and encourages to come out of his shell: “She wanted me to talk more, because my first year, I would answer a question in a couple words. Now, [I] try to be more out there, try to express myself a lot.”

“Where I want to get to — being a point guard in this league — you’ve gotta be able to talk and lead the guys,” Davison said.

The ultimate goal for Davison remains getting an NBA opportunity. But, he’s focused on the current moment as he works toward that.

“Everybody’s journey is different,” Davison said. “I take it day by day, step by step.”