BOSTON – "MVP, MVP, MVP." That's what Boston Celtics star Jaylen Brown heard as he approached the free throw line in the fourth quarter of the Green team's 120-112 win over the Phoenix Suns on Monday night. Brown delighted the home crowd at TD Garden with a game-high 41 points – on 50% shooting – along with five assists and four rebounds.
The five-time All-Star played tirelessly against the Suns, constantly attacking the rim and forcing the referees to make call after call. This offensive aggression resulted in a career-high 21 free throws and allowed Brown to take all the MVP cheers while standing alone at the charity stripe.
"It's pretty cool, not gonna lie," Brown said of the MVP chants he received. "It's just amazing to be at this point in my career and be able to get that love from the fans."
Loud MVP chant for Jaylen Brown: pic.twitter.com/2PVsLxBjcH
- Daniel Donabedian (@danield1214) 17 March 2026
Brown deserved every scream from the Boston faithful, as he recorded a game-high 18 points in the final frame alone. He was also responsible for the biggest momentum shift of the contest, which came when he cleanly stole the ball from Suns star Devin Booker, giving an easy lead to Celtics star Jayson Tatum on the other end with 3:05 remaining in the fourth quarter. This limited the Suns' lead to just one and forced a timeout – they never recovered and the Celtics went on a 10–1 run to close out the win.
"I think even now over the last few games, I've adjusted my game, and I'm still getting better at my ability to make plays, seeing the floor, taking my time, all those things, still continuing to improve," Brown said at the podium.
While Brown thoroughly enjoyed the love he earned from Celtics fans on Monday, he may have enjoyed even more the support he received on a cold Sunday morning on the streets of South Boston.
The longtime Celtics participated in Boston's St. Patrick's Day Parade for the first time and were surrounded by fans that exceeded the capacity of the TD Garden.
"I was at Southee's yesterday and I got some MVP chants," Brown recalled. "I think it might have been a little nicer."
Jaylen Brown joins Southee St. Patrick's Day Parade ☘️ pic.twitter.com/p3vBPLwn4u
- Daniel Donabedian (@danield1214) 15 March 2026
Although Brown is being serenaded with MVP chants throughout Beantown, that doesn't mean he'll be taking home the Michael Jordan Trophy. Reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is the favorite and his Oklahoma City Thunder have the advantage of having the best record in the NBA.
This will likely keep Brown from becoming the first Celtics MVP in four decades, yet he still has some history to chase. After lighting up the sun, the Georgia native is just 23 points away from entering the top-10 of the Celtics' all-time scoring list. With a 23-point outing, he would be right behind his partner in offense Tatum on the historical leaderboard.
Tatum said of his on-court partnership with Brown, "We can count on each other in the biggest moments, the biggest games, the biggest situations, we've been through them all together."
Following the 45-23 Celtics are the injury-hit Golden State Warriors, whom they host on Wednesday night during a primetime showdown. And while this contest likely won't provide Brown with a big enough stage to further his MVP case, it will give him a chance to continue his stellar season and keep the Celtics in contention for the playoffs.
“I'm proud of my team, I'm proud of myself,” he said. "I always felt that if given the chance, I could become one of the top players in the world and I think I have to demonstrate that this season. Now my focus is on preparing for the playoffs."
