The Boston Celtics improved to 17-4 on the season with a 108-89 victory over the Miami Heat on Monday night, thanks to another strong performance from star players Jayson Tatum (18 points, 11 rebounds) and Jaylen Brown (29 points, seven rebounds).

The availability of Boston's two stars has allowed the Celtics to become a year-over-year contender in the East since the duo arrived in the league. As the Celtics embark on a chase to capture their second-straight NBA title, they will be reliant upon their stars to be available once again, just as they have been throughout the majority of their respective careers.

Brown knows it, and the broader NBA knows it. As rival stars in the Eastern Conference face criticism for sitting out frequently, especially Heat star Jimmy Butler and Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid, Brown has relished in his ability to be available. He seemingly took a shot at his conference opponents in the postgame media availability.

"We try to have the mindset to come out and play good basketball and put our best foot forward [with] whoever's out there," Brown said. "...It's hard for teams to be great if some of your best players don't play back-to-backs."

The Celtics aren't backing down from anybody, and it's clear that they're on a path and mission to try to repeat as NBA champions. It will take consistent availability from the stars moving forward in order for Boston to achieve its goal.

More of the Latest Around the NBA


This article was originally published on www.si.com as Jaylen Brown Took Not-So-Subtle Shot at Star Players Who Aren’t Playing Back-to-Backs.

Test hyperlink for boilerplate