Jaylen Brown says grip 'a constant adjustment,' has 29 in Celts' win

BOSTON — Despite his best efforts to keep the wound on his right hand protected Saturday, Boston Celtics star Jaylen Brown said the cut reopened during Game 1 of his team's opening-round win over the Atlanta Hawks, adding to the discomfort he had anticipated feeling while playing.

«Split open during the game,» Brown said of the gash between his index and middle fingers which caused him to miss the final two games of the regular season, «but it's fine now.»

When asked if he thought the cut — which had required several stitches before they were removed Thursday — might need to be restitched, Brown simply said he'll have his hand re-evaluated Sunday.

«I think it's going to be all right,» he added.

Brown played like the injury was a non-factor. In 37 minutes, he scored a game-high 29 points, and added 12 rebounds. One of Brown's most emphatic buckets was a wide-open, two-hand dunk in the first half.

He was a spark on the defensive end of the floor, too, intercepting a Hawks pass in the game's opening seconds. Brown's teammates and coaches said that early steal set a tone that propelled the Celtics to their 30-point halftime lead, ahead of the eventual 112-99 win.

«He came out aggressive,» Celtics forward Jayson Tatum said. «He looked like he looked fine and played really well.»

Added head coach Joe Mazzulla: «Thought his shot selection was good. Thought he was intentional on the defensive end.»

Brown's performance came nine days after he said he cut the hand while picking up a flower vase he had broken.

He practiced Thursday and Friday for the first time since the injury and told reporters then that he expected some difficulty while determining how best to manage the pain. He also felt challenged figuring out which