Jaylen Brown and Donovan Mitchell put friendship on pause for Celtics-Cavs series – NBC Sports Boston

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Jaylen Brown and Donovan Mitchell have a close relationship off the court, but don’t expect them to play nice when the Boston Celtics and Cleveland Cavaliers face off in the Eastern Conference semifinals.

Mitchell set that record straight Sunday when asked about his friendship with Brown and fellow Celtics star Jayson Tatum.

“I stopped talking to them when there was a possibility that we might play them,” the Cavs All-Star told reporters. “But it’s all competition and I expect nothing but the best from them and vice versa.

“We have to go out there and take care of business in a hostile environment, but it’s always great to play against friends, compete against friends, and I know it’s going to be tough. It’s going to be fun, and I’m excited .”

Brown bluntly echoed Mitchell’s sentiments during a call with reporters on Monday.

“There are no friends in the playoffs,” he said.

Mitchell has been close with Brown and Tatum since high school. The trio played together on Team USA at the 2019 FIBA ​​Basketball World Cup. In 2020, during the NBA bubble, Mitchell and Brown exchanged friendly barbs in a series of humorous social media posts.

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Brown Mitchell posterized with a thunderous dunk last season and I then targeted him. Mitchell, however, had the last laugh as the Cavs defeated the C’s in overtime after his 41-point performance.

While their friendship has only grown over the years, Mitchell and Brown will be all business when the Celtics-Cavs series kicks off Tuesday night. Game 1 at TD Garden is scheduled for 7:00 PM ET with coverage starting at 6:00 PM on NBC Sports Boston’s Celtics Pregame Live.