The Celtics are very unlikely to be able to repeat as champs without the Cal alum, so why is he playing in what are meaningless late-season tilts?

During the NBA offseason in 2022, the Celtics offered Jaylen Brown and others to the Nets in exchange for Kevin Durant.

Brown registered a 24 points (10-20 FG, 2-6 3Pt, 2-3 FT), nine rebounds and four assists across 29 minutes during Wednesday's 124-103 loss to Miami. The 28-year-old wing led the Celtics in scoring after sitting out Monday's contest due to a sore knee.

On Thursday night, Jayson Tatum and the Boston Celtics suffered their first loss since March 12 at the hands of the Miami Heat. In the loss, Tatum recorded 16 points, seven assists, three rebounds, and a steal.

Ultimately, the game doesn't mean much at all from a standings perspective, as the Celtics are nearly locked into the No. 2 seed for the Eastern Conference playoffs. No team below

If that holds true, Boston could be up for another dominant run in attempt to repeat as NBA Champions. Even with a good stretch, the outcome likely was no less frustrating for the Celtics or their fans.