Jaylen Brown lifted the prestigious Larry Bird Trophy after being named MVP of the Eastern Conference Finals following the Boston Celtics’ victory over the Indiana Pacers on Monday night.
The Celtics are Eastern Conference champions after a dramatic 105-102 victory over the Pacers at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, where Brown scored a team-high 29 points to propel Boston to the NBA Finals.
And after his exploits in Indiana, the shooting guard was crowned MVP of the 2024 Eastern Conference Finals, ahead of teammate Jayson Tatum, who won the top honor two years ago.
“I’m one of the best two-way wings or guards in this game,” he said after receiving the famed award.
Jaylen Brown won the prestigious Larry Bird Trophy after being named MVP of the Eastern Conference Finals
LeBron James led the praise for Brown online after his MVP triumph in the Conference Finals
“As time went on and I got to this point, I stopped caring and just embraced.”
He also added during his post-match press conference: ‘I didn’t expect it at all, I never win. I was just happy we won.”
LeBron James led the praise for Brown on social media after his MVP triumph, writing, “Stay young [king]! RESPECT!’
Brown was the focal point for Boston in their comeback win at Indiana, where they overcame a nine-point deficit in the fourth quarter.
Derrick White then drained a tiebreaking corner 3-pointer with 45 seconds left in regulation time after a defensive breakdown by the Pacers left him alone in the right corner on the decisive shot.
Brown spotted him and gave him the ball, and White’s shot zoomed through the net.
Brown scored a team-high 29 points against Indiana to propel Boston to the NBA Finals
It was the second straight comeback win in Indianapolis for Boston, which overcame an eight-point deficit with 2:38 left in Game 3 to post a 114-111 victory.
“Give Indiana credit, they played us hard,” Brown added. “I know people don’t think Indiana was a good team or whatever, but I thought they were as tough as anyone we’ve played all season.
“They were physical, they were fast and they put a lot of pressure on us. So shout out to them and respect them.”