Cal Basketball: Jaylen Brown Sparks Celtics to Game 1 Win over Warriors in NBA Finals

He scores 10 of his 24 points in the fourth quarter, triggering a huge comeback.

Jaylen Brown made a debut in the NBA Finals he won't soon forget.

Brown scored 10 fourth-quarter points to spark the Boston Celtics’ 120-108 come-from-behind win over the Warriors in Game 1 of the NBA Finals.

The 25-year-old shooting guard from Cal wound up with 24 points, seven rebounds, five assists, a pair of steals and a blocked shot.

He scored or assisted on the Celtics’ first 14 points of the fourth quarter as they stormed back from a 92-80 deficit entering the final 12 minutes. Boston outscored the Warriors 40-16 in the fourth, assembling a 17-0 run and making 10 straight shots during one stretch.

“I was just trying to get our team going by being aggressive and finding the right plays. Some shots went down for us and it kind of snowballed,” Brown told Scott Van Pelt on Sports Center. 

Jaylen Brown blocks Kevon Looney's dunk attempt / Photo by Darren Yamashita, USS Today

Asked if there was a moment in the fourth quarter when he became convinced the Celtics could win, Brown said, “I felt like that the whole entire time. Even though they had a big lead on us, I felt like we were stlll in a good spot.

“Offensively, we just had to be better. I had to be better. Once I kind of got into the groove, I got involved into the offense, things kind of went well for us. Continuing to be aggressive is my thing. It’s good for my team if I’m aggressive.”

Brown scored all 10 of his fourth-quarter points in the first 4 1/2 minutes of the period, and had all five of his assists in the final period.

Al Horford, who scored 26 points, said “Jaylen attacking” on offense was one of the keys to turning the tide.

The Celtics became just the third road team in the past 20 years to win Game 1 of the NBA Finals.

Having handed the Warriors their first home playoff defeat this season, Brown and Boston return to Chase Center for Game 2 on Sunday evening.

Brown’s 24 points rank as the eighth-most by a former Cal player in the NBA Finals.

Most points scored by former Cal player in an NBA Finals game:

— 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

— 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

Cover photo of Jaylen Brown dunking by Kyle Terada, USA Today

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