Jaylen Brown’s stunning homecoming game gave Hawks fans mixed feelings

The Atlanta Hawks returned home Saturday night after a long West Coast trip, where they were decimated by the Boston Celtics 132-106. 

The Hawks came into this matchup desperate for a much-needed win. After starting the Jalen Johnson era off strong with two impressive road victories, they dropped their next two games in embarrassing fashion. 

After suffering losses to the Los Angeles Lakers and Portland Trail Blazers, the Hawks needed to make a statement on their home floor against one of the better teams in the Eastern Conference. 

The Boston Celtics have had a bit of an unexpected season. When star forward Jayson Tatum went down with a torn Achilles during the 2025 postseason, many expected them to embrace the tank and come down to Earth for a year. 

Jaylen Brown and company, however, had different plans. 40 games into the supposed “down-year”, the Celtics sat at 25-15, good for the second-best record in the Eastern Conference.

Regardless of the circumstances, writing off the Boston Celtics often proves to be unwise. If the shorthanded Hawks were going to defeat this tough in-conference opponent, they needed a full team effort on both ends of the floor. 

Well, the exact opposite of what they intended took place, resulting in an embarrassing, lopsided loss on their home court.

Boston dominated the Hawks, and Jaylen Brown was the reason why

It took time for the Celtics to build the lead that they had, but Jaylen Brown wasted no time getting involved in the rout of the Hawks. Being from Marietta, just half an hour outside of Atlanta, Brown always takes this matchup personally.

In the first quarter alone, he recorded 18 points, 2 rebounds, and 2 assists on 6/13 from the field. It was clear that this was going to be a long night for the home team, all because of an elite performance from the hometown kid.

Brown's early-game heroics and Boston building a sizable lead were deflating, but Hawks fans still found ways to enjoy their night. When Brown went to the free throw line in the first half, the FanDuel 404 Crew poked fun at his viral moment earlier in the season, reminding him of the incident in a chant:

Brown clearly didn't find their remarks amusing. As the game progressed, he continued what he started early, obliterating Atlanta on both ends of the floor.

At the end of the first half, the 2024 Finals MVP had 29 points, three rebounds, and two assists on 10/19 from the field, showing absolutely zero signs of slowing down. The Hawks trailed by 31 points on their home floor entering the second half.

With how lopsided the first half was, many expected for the Hawks to at least slightly cut into the lead. This wasn't the case, and Boston built their lead all the way up to 43 points as the night went on.

In the game, Jaylen Brown had eclipsed 40 points with over two minutes remaining in the third frame. Luckily, he never saw the floor in the final quarter, but Boston made a statement by maintaining their lead without him.

While a blowout is never fun to watch, Hawks fans can't be too mad seeing JB cook. Someone who represents Atlanta in the highest form at any given opportunity is always welcome back in the city, and would certainly be welcome to put on a Hawks uniform the next time he hits free agency.