Jaylen Brown's Game-High Scoring Effort Helps USA Soar Past Japan

Jaylen Brown was the king of the court Thursday in Shanghai, where his game-high 20-point performance launched Team USA to a 98-45 win over Japan during Round 1 of the FIBA World Cup. Fellow Celtic teammate Kemba Walker chipped in 15 points and a game-high eight assists to help USA finish with a 3-0 mark in the first group stage.

Blowouts were the theme for Celtics World Cup participants Thursday, as Vincent Poirier also gave France a boost during a 90-56 win over the Dominican Republic, while Daniel Theis played a solid role in Germany’s 96-62 victory over Jordan.

Here are a few key Celtics-related takeaways from the matches:

Brown played a limited role during Team USA’s 93-92 win over Turkey Tuesday, as he tallied just one point and one rebound over six minutes of action. Perhaps that’s what fueled his fire for Thursday’s massive bounce-back effort.

The 22-year-old wing dropped 20 points during 23 minutes of action against Japan, while shooting 9-of-15 from the field. He poured in seven points during the first three minutes of the second quarter, which helped USA pull away and never look back.

Brown’s biggest impact came in the paint, as he barreled his way to the basket for two dunks, along with a couple of nifty layups. He shot 7-of-9 inside the arc, while also connecting on a couple of shots from outside the perimeter.

Brown made an impact on the other end of the floor as well, as he corralled a game-high-tying six defensive rebounds, while also snagging a pair of steals.

With Brown claiming the role of USA’s leading scorer, Walker took on the responsibility of being the team’s top distributor. The newly acquired Celtics point guard dished out a game-high eight assists, which was one more than Japan tallied as an entire team.

As Team USA’s lead expanded, so did Walker’s showmanship. The three-time NBA All-Star pulled a handful of dribbling tricks out of his bag, as he danced around Japan’s defense with style.

Walker also made an impact scoring the ball, as he dropped in 15 points on 5-of-11 shooting for the second-highest point total on the team. He played a total of 21 minutes, during which USA outscored Japan by an astounding 45 points.

Both Marcus Smart and Jayson Tatum were sidelined with injuries Thursday, as Smart rested a strained left quad, while Tatum sat out with a sprained left ankle.

Tatum’s injury was sustained during the final play of Tuesday’s overtime win over Turkey, but it does not appear to be a serious one. He walked into Shanghai Oriental Sports Center Thursday morning without any sign of a limp and he could return to action by early next week.

For Smart, this is the second injury he has suffered this summer with Team USA, after straining his left calf last month. Like Tatum, he is also listed as day-to-day.

While Brown and Walker were busy taking care of business in Shanghai, their new Celtics teammate, Vincent Poirier, was putting in a solid day of work nearly 1,000 miles southwest in Shenzen, where Team France faced off against the Dominican Republic.

Poirier came off the French bench and corralled eight rebounds, which tied him for the game lead in that department with reigning two-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert. The 7-foot center also scored seven points during his 22 minutes of action, as France cruised to a 90-56 win, finishing with a 3-0 mark in first-round group play.

Four hours earlier inside Shenzen Bay Sports Center, C’s big man Daniel Theis also played a role in helping his country to a blowout win. He tallied seven points and four rebounds during 13 minutes of action for Team Germany, as it dismantled Jordan for a 96-62 victory. Germany finished 1-2 in the first round of group play and will move onto the classification round.

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