The Boston Celtics battled the Indiana Pacers for the second time this week on Friday, and the rematch followed a similar script. The Celtics fell behind early, only to storm back and win behind another big game from Jaylen Brown.

Four days after erasing a 20-point deficit and beating the Pacers 103-95 at TD Garden, Boston overcame another double-digit deficit on Friday, blowing out Indiana 140-122 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.

Whereas the Celtics waited until the second half and the fourth quarter specifically to mount their comeback on Monday, this time they did so in the second quarter. After ending the first quarter down 11, Boston erupted for 47 points in the second quarter and never looked back, cruising to their fourth straight victory.

Brown led the Celtics with 30 points, reaching that benchmark for the eighth straight game. That’s the second-longest streak in team history, trailing only Larry Bird’s nine consecutive 30-point games from 40 years ago.

Brown, who also had four steals on defense, had plenty of help on offense. Payton Pritchard scored 29 points, Sam Hauser had 23 and Derrick White had 21. The 23 points were a season high for Hauser, who also matched his season high with seven 3-pointers.

Luka Garza stayed hot off the bench with 15 points and a plus-26 in 27 minutes.

Friday’s rout kicks off a five-game road trip for Boston, which improved to 19-11. The Celtics continue their West Coast swing on Sunday against the Portland Trail Blazers, where Brown will look to match Bird’s record and help extend Boston’s winning streak.

Jaylen Brown has dealt with a lot of criticism throughout his NBA career, ever since he was booed on draft night when the Boston Celtics took him third overall in the 2016 NBA Draft.

Despite all his individual and team success over the past decade, including a championship and an NBA Finals MVP award, Brown has continued to face doubters and skeptics. Many questioned whether he was worth his massive contract extension or whether he could lead the Celtics in Jayson Tatum’s absence.

So far, Brown has silenced the critics this season. He’s playing some of the best basketball of his career, performing at an MVP level while leading Boston’s short-handed roster to the No. 3 seed in the Eastern Conference.

After helping the Celtics erase a 20-point deficit against the Indiana Pacers on Monday, Brown hopped on Twitch and shared a strongly worded message for his haters.

“I’ve been embracing a villain this season,” Brown said. “There was a lot of people waiting for me to fall on my face this season… they had the tweets loaded, ready for me to fail, (they) still waiting on it. And I’m just gonna tell them, keep waiting.”

Now in his 10th NBA season, the 29-year-old star has shown no signs of slowing down. He’s scored at least 30 points in seven straight games and 11 of his last 12, proving he’s more than capable of carrying a team and being the top option on offense.

After a few days to rest, Brown will look to continue his stellar season in Friday’s rematch with the Pacers.

The Boston Celtics secured an impressive win over the Indiana Pacers on Monday, Dec. 22. Joe Mazzulla’s squad went into halftime trailing by 20 points. However, after making the bold call to pull some of the team’s starters early in the third quarter, Boston clawed its way back into the game before taking the lead in the fourth.

During his postgame news conference, Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle detailed how the Celtics took control of the game despite being down at the start of the second half.

“I thought they picked up their physicality; their bench became more of a factor in the second half,” Carlisle said, via the Pacers YouTube channel. “You know, we needed to keep attacking, and we didn’t do it enough. We held them to 103 points. You know, that’s another small win. I mean, we’re trying to win basketball games, but this team is going through things that are difficult things, but they’re things that are going to strengthen us.”

The win was Boston’s 18th of the season. Mazzulla’s team continues to find different ways to win. The Celtics are slowly finding their identity as a gritty, never-say-die team with a high-octane style. And while Boston’s defense is still a concern, there are signs of improvement, especially when leaning into the zone.

Most importantly, the Celtics are becoming a formidable opponent at home. They have won 10-of-15 in the TD Garden, as opposed to their 8-6 record on the road.

Furthermore, Boston is finding success with its developmental talent. Josh Minott, Hugo Gonzalez, Neemias Queta, Jordan Walsh and even Luka Garza have all stepped up at different points of the season. Against the Pacers was no different, with Gonzalez and Garza both impressing for the second straight game.

The Celtics will get a few days of rest over the Christmas period. They are back in action on Friday, Dec. 26, when they face the Pacers in what will be an immediate rematch for both teams.

During the 2024 All-Star Weekend, Jaylen Brown opted to participate in the dunk contest. The event coincided with Brown’s third All-Star appearance. He finished second, behind Mac McClung.

In a recent appearance on Derrick White’s “White Noise” podcast, Brown addressed his performance. He jokingly blamed Jayson Tatum for his passing during his dunk attempts and revealed his interaction with Adam Silver after the event.

“When I was practicing, I had a professional passer—somebody who got the timing right. And then, you know who threw my pass? JT. Terrible decision,” Brown said. “He threw the pass and it wasn’t a good pass. It just looked bad. It happens…The caveat was that it was one of the most-viewed dunk contests in history, for the wrong reasons. I had the most clips, I had the most… Everybody was sharing. Adam (Silver) actually thanked me. He came to the locker room after the dunk contest. I was like, Adam, get out of my face.”

Brown is one of the most explosive dunkers in the NBA. During the contest, he tried to incorporate some storytelling into his dunks. While many fans appreciated a different kind of approach, he wasn’t showcasing his full range of athleticism and explosiveness.

Nevertheless, Boston Celtics fans will undoubtedly appreciate hearing Brown’s thoughts on the event and how things played out. It’s also humorous that Tatum, who has developed into one of the better passing forwards in the NBA, was partly at fault.

Brown is on course to make his fifth All-Star appearance this season, which would mark his fourth consecutive selection. He’s enjoying a stellar season thus far, averaging 29.3 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 5 assists per game, shooting 50% from the field and 36.5% from deep.

With Jayson Tatum sidelined due to an Achilles tendon injury, Brown has stepped into a leading role for the Celtics. He’s thriving as the team’s primary offensive option and proving himself to be among the league’s elite scorers. Having both Brown and Tatum full of confidence will be essential for when the Celtics are ready to get back to challenging for a championship in the near future.