BOSTON — Boston Celtics star Jaylen Brown is known for his high-flying dunks and elite athleticism. But what happens when he can't rely on any of that? The Phoenix Suns found out, as Brown fought through knee pain and still managed to lead the C's to a 123-103 win on Friday night at TD Garden.

The reigning NBA Finals MVP finished with a team-high 31 points to go along with five rebounds and three assists in 28 minutes. Brown has been dealing with a right knee posterior impingement and missed four of his last eight games heading into an inter-conference matchup with the Suns. Despite his initial “questionable” injury designation and decreased explosiveness, Brown opted to play and learned about himself in the process.

“I learned that I have a lot of skill,” Brown replied when asked about what he's discovered while playing injured. “My skill level is high, as you saw tonight. No dunks, no transition points like what I'm used to doing. I was probably leading the league in transition points this season, or top five at least. I don't think I had any transition points tonight. And I can still affect and score in a game in multiple ways. I haven't always displayed that.”

Brown, in fact, didn't dunk on the Suns — unlike the first time he faced them this season and put rookie Ryan Dunn on a poster. The four-time All-Star improvised and thrived along the 3-point line, draining three of his four attempts from deep.

Although Brown leads the Celtics in 2-point attempts per game and averages the 10th-most transition points in the NBA, he earned a fair chunk of his points while barely moving, netting eight of his nine attempts at the charity stripe. Brown currently shoots 75.9% from the free throw line, which is lower than Boston's four other starters.

“I get to the paint, I draw two, make the defense collapse, and we got shooters all around,” Brown said of his normal routine. “But, I can hit shots and shoot the ball. I can get to my spots. I can score in different ways and stuff like that…And I think that could be a good thing. Reminding myself that, not only are you athletic, but you got a high skill level as well. So, utilize that.”

Just because Brown didn't have his regular speed doesn't mean he played like a statue. He still drove into the paint with relative ease and embraced contact from a multitude of defenders. This could all be beneficial preparation, as the playoffs are rapidly approaching and the 28-year-old is far from his old self.

“Today I felt like I didn't have my normal burst, but I was still able to be effective,” he stated. “So I think that's good. But as we continue to move forward I'm hoping to feel better and better, but there's no guarantee rest or anything like that is going to make this thing better. So, kind of figuring it out and going through it, getting ready for the playoffs.”

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Why are Celtics fans calling for Jaylen Brown to sit?

Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown (7) and Phoenix Suns forward Ryan Dunn (0) go for a loose ball during the second half at TD Garden.
Winslow Townson-Imagn Images

Celtics fans are accustomed to seeing Brown climb up for vicious slams and move at a rapid pace, so when they witnessed him playing methodically, there was cause for concern. So much so that Green Teamers online were urging him not to play for the rest of the regular season. The C's are now 57-20 and likely locked into second place in the Eastern Conference, needing an epic collapse from the Cleveland Cavaliers to steal the No. 1 seed.

“You normally see people complain about when people are choosing not to play. I've ever experienced it the other way around,” Brown joked. “Even though my team can visibly see I'm in a bit of pain, they trust me to go out there, and I can control my body and still be able to make plays and mentally be able to kind of push through it. I think that's going to be something I'm gonna have to have in my back pocket. So I've been just utilizing these games in order to feel things out.”

Rather than completely sitting out for the next five outings, Brown might continue to operate on a minutes restriction. This isn't what the energetic guard is used to, and it's arguably the direct opposite of how he prefers to play. However, Brown sounds eager to do what it takes to help his team close out the regular season strong and enter the playoffs with some momentum.

“I think we're playing some great basketball right now,” he said. “This time of year you want to be. So you want to prioritize health. It's not going to be perfect, but as a team, if we work together and keep emphasizing team, I think we have enough. We got plenty. So that's the goal — just buy into the team, buy into the game plan, and buy into the strategy, and rely on each other. So that's what I'm focused on.”