Jaylen Brown said moves like the Knicks' addition of Mikal Bridges and the Cavs' addition of DeAndre Hunter are a source of motivation

Brown’s message didn’t come across as a challenge. It sounded more like encouragement, the words of a caring teammate looking to empower one of his brothers.

Then came Sunday, which saw Celtics stars Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown shine, while New York's big offseason acquisitions of Karl Anthony-Towns and Mikal Bridges struggled to make a big impact.

Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown led a balanced scoring attack on Sunday, as the Celtics routed the Knicks 118-105.

After New York cut a 27-point lead down to 4 early in the fourth quarter, Brown kicked it into a new gear to push Boston’s lead back to blowout status.