BOSTON — Jaylen Brown was front and center for the Celtics’ comeback win over the Pacers in the fourth quarter on Monday night. However, the team began their rally in the third quarter with Brown and his fellow starters on the bench. Joe Mazzulla pulled the entire usual starting group with 9:02 remaining in the third quarter after the Pacers pushed their lead to a game-high 20 points.

Boston’s reserves used a 19-5 run to climb back into the game before Brown returned to the floor with one minute remaining in the third quarter. After the win, Brown gave his candid reaction to the rare benching by his head coach.

“To be honest, I was pissed,” Brown said. “You know what I mean? I was ready to play so I didn’t know. It felt like we were mailing it in. It was only three minutes in (to the third quarter), but we trust our coaching staff. So it was the right decision. That second group is the reason why we won the game. Garza, Sam, Hugo. We won tonight, but it was because of those guys. So it was a great call by Joe.”

Once Brown came back in the game, he was able to maintain the momentum from Boston’s reserves. The All-Star scored 14 of his game-high 31 points in the fourth quarter to help the hosts complete the rally for their third straight win. The response by Brown once he reentered the game was not surprising for Mazzulla.

“He knew we weren’t playing at our best, I thought he responded great,” Mazzulla said of Brown. “I thought when it was his time, and that’s what I told him. I said, ‘This is what you’re supposed to do.’ I mean, it’s an 8- to 12-point game, like we have to earn these wins. We have to earn this opportunity to develop the mental toughness that it takes to try to compete at a high level, and he’s been doing that for us the entire season, and the efficiency in the offense is one thing, but he does it defensively for us as well, and I think he’s just playing great basketball for us.”

Brown has now scored 30 or more points in seven straight games for the Celtics, helping them rise to an unexpected No. 3 spot in the Eastern Conference over the past month.

“I think this has been my favorite season so far, being able to get an opportunity to lead a group,” Brown said. “A group of guys who … Some of us, we have some championship experience, but we have five or six new guys who haven’t really played NBA basketball. And now we look like one of the better teams in the league. And that’s just credit to our coaching staff and credit to our leadership that we’ve been able to get those guys comfortable. And we’re playing some good basketball right now, so it means everything.”

The Celtics and Brown will look to extend their winning streak to four when they face off against the Pacers in a rematch on Friday in Indiana.