Jaylen Brown and the Boston Celtics ended their four-game road trip with a loss against Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets on Wednesday night, falling short 103-84. It was a tough night for the Celtics, as the 84-point offensive output was not only the lowest point total for the Celtics all year, but the loss also locked in the Celtics’ 20th of the season, putting their record at 38-20.
Brown has been carrying Boston this season in the absence of injured superstar Jayson Tatum. Jaylen has been the Celtics’ primary scorer, averaging 29.2 points per game, while being a key playmaker, averaging 4.8 assists per game, and providing excellent defense on a nightly basis. After Tatum ruptured his right Achilles tendon during the 2025 NBA Eastern Conference semifinals against the New York Knicks on May 12, 2025, many expected the Celtics team to struggle this season. However, Brown’s play and leadership have been a large part of why Boston has exceeded preseason expectations.
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Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown and center Luke KornetKevin Jairaj-Imagn Images
(Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images)
Before the Wednesday night loss, the Celtics were the last NBA team in limbo for the “40-20 threshold”. The “40-20 rule”, as it is often called, is a historical benchmark that is credited to legendary head coach Phil Jackson. The concept is as follows: if a team is championship worthy, they will get to 40 regular-season wins before they sustain their 20th loss.
NBA observers have taken this edict to heart over the years, with the concept growing in popularity, notably due to its consistency. When excluding lockout seasons, the rule has been proven year in and year out, with a few notable exceptions. Since the NBA/ABA merger, only the 2003-04 Detroit Pistons (who made a big acquisition for Rasheed Wallace at the deadline), the 2005-06 Miami Heat with Shaquille O’Neal and Dwyane Wade, and the 2020-21 Milwaukee Bucks (where the league was dealing with the fallout from Covid) have won a championship without reaching the 40-20 threshold.
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Although Celtics Nation is hopeful that Tatum will return for the team before the season’s end, they should find solace in the fact that their team has been playing with pride and came close to breaking the “40-20” benchmark in the first place.
The Celtics come home for their next matchup against the Brooklyn Nets on Friday at 7:30 p.m. ET.
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This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Feb 26, 2026, where it first appeared in the NBA section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.