Cal Basketball: Jaylen Brown Rises Up Even as Celtics Fall to Warriors in NBA Finals

His 34 points in Game 6 loss were the most ever by an ex-Cal player in the Finals.

Jaylen Brown the best of the Boston Celtics in the NBA Finals.

He delivered the highest-scoring Finals series performance ever by a former Cal player and the highest single-game point total.

His 34 points in Game 6 on Thursday night were the most by a Celtics player in the Finals since Paul Pierce scored 38 in a loss to Lakers in 2008.

But it wasn’t enough to prevent the Warriors from finishing off the Celtics with a 103-90 victory and a 4-2 series victory for Golden State’s fourth NBA title in the past eight seasons.

Jaylen Brown tries to shoot over Draymond Green / Photo by Kyle Terada, USA Today

And the 25-year-old, despite his mostly good numbers, made no bones about the Celtics’ shortcomings.

“They won and we lost. We did it to ourselves. For sure, we had opportunities to go up and win,” said Brown, who played just one season at Cal before entering the 2016 NBA draft. “I guess we’ve shown our immaturity at times, and it stings. Still a young group. Still got a lot to learn. Nothing to hang our head about. Tough day for Boston. Tough day for the Celtics.”

Brown’s efforts fell short of holy cannoli status, but he did all he could to carry the Celtics. He averaged 23.5 points, 7.3 rebounds and 3.7 assists in the Finals, although he also contributed to Boston’s turnover epidemic with 20 giveaways, including five on Thursday night.

By scoring 34 points, Brown eclipsed the previous high of 30 by an ex-Cal player in an NBA Finals game. That standard was set by Phil Chenier in 1975 (in a Finals loss to the Warriors) and twice equaled by Jason Kidd (in 2002 and 2003).

Brown accumulated 141 points over the six games, easily outdistancing Kidd’s total of 118, also in six games, back in ’03.

The 141 points rank him ninth on the all-time Finals list among players from the Pac-12, with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar holding down the top four spots.

Few in Boston are likely to celebrate Brown’s performances because they came in a series defeat.

The Celtics, who hadn’t lost two straight games since March, lost three in a row to the Warriors after establishing a 2-1 lead. They were the first Boston team since 1985 — and only the second ever — to be beaten at home in a decisive Finals game. The only other team to pull it off was the 1985 Lakers, and they had Kareem and Magic.

Long-time Boston Globe columnist Dan Shaughnessy called this one “a disaster.”

It didn’t help that first-team All-NBA forward Jayson Tatum wilted in the spotlight. He often disappeared in the fourth quarter as he did Thursday when he scored just two points in the second half. Brown had 20.

Tatum’s 13 points in Game 6 were his fewest in 24 postseason games this year. He shot under 37 percent for the series, including barely 31 percent inside the 3-point arc, where his 24 baskets barely exceeded his 23 turnovers.

“I just gave him a hug, man," Brown said. "I know it was a tough last game.

"I know that obviously it was a game we felt like we could have won," he said. "It stings that we kind of didn't play to our potential, but it is what it is. You've got to learn from it and move on. As tough as it is, it's been a great year, been a great journey...It just wasn't our time."

Jaylen Brown tries to stop Stephen Curry / Photo by Bob DeChiara, USA Today

Brown assembled scoring performances that elevate him above his fellow Cal brethren in this setting:

MOST POINTS BY A FORMER CAL PLAYER IN AN NBA FINALS GAME

— 34: Jaylen Brown, Boston Celtics vs. Golden State Warriors, 2022, Game 6

— 30: Phil Chenier, Washington Bullets vs. Golden State Warriors, 1975, Game 2

— 30: Jason Kidd, New Jersey Nets vs. Los Angeles Lakers, 2002, Game 3

— 30: Jason Kidd, New Jersey Nets vs. San Antonio Spurs, 2003, Game 2

— 29: Jason Kidd, New Jersey Nets vs. San Antonio Spurs, 2003, Game 5

— 27: Jaylen Brown, Boston Celtics vs. Golden State Warriors, 2022, Game 3

— 26: Phil Chenier, Washington Bullets vs. Golden State Warriors, 1975, Game 4

— 25: Kevin Johnson, Phoenix Suns vs. Chicago Bulls, 1993, Game 3

— 25: Kevin Johnson, Phoenix Suns vs. Chicago Bulls, 1993, Game 5

— 24: Jaylen Brown, Boston Celtics vs. Golden State Warriors, 2022, Game 1

— 23: Jason Kidd, New Jersey Nets vs. Los Angeles Lakers, 2002, Game 1

— 21: Jason Kidd, New Jersey Nets vs. San Antonio Spurs, 2003, Game 6

— 21: Leon Powe, Boston Celtics vs. Los Angeles Lakers, 2008, Game 2

— 21: Jaylen Brown, Boston Celtics vs. Golden State Warriors, 2022, Game 4

.

MOST POINTS BY A FORMER CAL PLAYER IN AN NBA FINALS SERIES 

— Jaylen Brown (Celtics 2022): 141 points, 6 games

— Jason Kidd (Nets 2003): 118 points, 6 games

— Kevin Johnson (Suns 1993): 103 points, 6 games

— Phil Chenier (Bullets 1975): 92 points, 4 games

— Jason Kidd (Nets 2002): 83 points, 6 games

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MOST POINTS BY A FORMER PAC-12 PLAYER IN AN NBA FINALS SERIES

— Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, UCLA (Bucks 1974): 228 points, 7 games

— Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, UCLA (Lakers 1984): 186, 7 games

— Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, UCLA (Lakers 1980): 167 points, 5 games

— Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, UCLA (Lakers 1985): 154 points, 6 games

— Bill Sharman, USC (Celtics 1957): 153 points, 7 games

— Reggie Miller, UCLA (Pacers 2000): 146 points, 6 games

— Gus Williams, USC (Sonics 1979): 145 points, 5 games

— Chauncey Billups, Colorado (Pistons 2005): 143 points, 7 games

— Jaylen Brown (Celtics 2022): 141 points, 6 games

— Klay Thompson, WSU (Warriors 2016): 137 points, 7 games

— Russell Westbrook, UCLA (Thunder 2012): 135 points, 5 games

— Jason Terry, Arizona (Mavericks 2006): 132 points, 6 games

— Byron Scott, ASU (Lakers 1988): 132 points, 7 games

— Klay Thompson, WSU (Warriors 2019): 130 points, 5 games

— Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, UCLA (Lakers 1987): 130 points, 6 games

— Gail Goodrich, UCLA (Lakers 1972): 128 points, 5 games

— Jamaal Wilkes, UCLA (Lakers 1980): 128 points, 6 games

— Paul Westphal, USC (Suns 1976): 125 points, 6 games

Cover photo of Jaylen Brown by Kyle Terada, USA Today

Follow Jeff Faraudo of Cal Sports Report on Twitter: @jefffaraudo