The NBA new year couldn’t get off to a better start, with the Boston Celtics traveling to Mile High with a date with the Denver Nuggets.
The two best teams in the Association squared off in what might as well be a preview of the upcoming NBA Finals.
So, needless to say, motivation was at an all-time high for the matchup.
That sat quite well for Nuggets’ guard Bones Hyland, who had 17 points off the bench and some huge buckets down the stretch.
Jaylen Brown took it personally to cool off the red-hot Hyland, clapping at him right after picking him up defensively.
Hyland won the battle and tricked Brown into a foul, with led to them getting into each other’s faces and having to be separated.
JAYLEN BROWN AND BONES HYLAND ARE GETTING INTO IT 👀
Brown tripped after fouling Hyland and the two needed to be separated.pic.twitter.com/EUyvTxUl2W
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPointsApp) January 2, 2023
Nonetheless, the Celtics’ guard downplayed the incident, stating that it was just another example of two great competitors going at it:
“Nothing really,” Brown said of the altercation. “I just think their second unit was playing well, just comfortable. So I tried to pick up a little bit, increase my physicality and intensity. Just two guys competing. Bones is a good young player. He came out and had a really good game tonight off the bench. He affected them with 17 points off the bench. That was huge for them. For me, I was trying to pick up the intensity of the game. It was just two guys being competitive, wasn’t no smoke behind it.”
“I got love and respect for Jaylen Brown,” Hyland said.
Bones Hyland continues to make the most of the expanded playing time, emerging as one of the league’s finest scorers off the bench.
As for Brown, he’ll always take pride in trying to lock up a great scorer, as he’s also an elite defender, so this shouldn’t come as a surprise at all.
NEXT: Jaylen Brown Shared His Reaction Of Being Fouled Hard By Rockets