Basketball fans were treated to a thrilling contest on Sunday afternoon, with the Los Angeles Lakers narrowly defeating the Boston Celtics. It was a game full of twists and turns, with stars like LeBron James and Jayson Tatum going back and forth for all four quarters. In many ways, the contest had a playoff atmosphere.

So forgive Celtics guard Jaylen Brown for expressing his desire for the playoffs to come sooner:

Brown spoke about the fun he had despite the loss, noting both teams played at an extremely competitive level while also admitting that both he and the Celtics have plenty of work left before the playoffs begin.

While Jayson Tatum put on a career performance, Brown struggled to maintain consistency. He scored 20 points and played tremendous defense (including three steals), but he also committed four turnovers and had a hard time creating offensive opportunities for himself.

The Celtics were missing Kemba Walker on Sunday, and they needed Tatum's Herculean effort merely to stay in the game for the first three quarters. But Brown might hold the key to their success come playoff time, mostly because he can act as a crucial scoring option.

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Brown entered the contest averaging over 20 points while shooting nearly 50 percent from the field and over 38 percent from beyond the arc. His development as a shooter have made him a well-rounded star for a Celtic team that–Brown included–have dealt with injuries all season long.

But as Brown yearns for the playoffs, the Celtics still have work to do. They fell to 39-17 with the loss and were two games back of the Toronto Raptors as the Raptors prepared for the Indiana Pacers on Sunday night.

Can the Celtics track down the Raptors? Time will tell, but Brown and co. are hungry for more.