After the Celtics dropped their third straight game to the Oklahoma City Thunder Tuesday night, Jaylen Brown urged his teammates to pick up their intensity moving forward by igniting their “inner flame.”
Aaron Nesmith must’ve heard that message loud and clear, because the rookie wing responded 24 hours later with one of the fieriest individual performances of Boston’s campaign.
With Marcus Smart and Kemba Walker both sidelined for Wednesday night’s matchup against the Charlotte Hornets, Nesmith stepped in and produced career-highs of 15 points, nine rebounds, three steals, and three blocks, becoming the first rookie in Celtics history to reach such benchmarks all in one game. However, his most impressive contribution didn’t show up on the stat sheet; it showed up on the court in the form of non-stop hustle plays that helped to spark the Celtics to a 120-111 win.