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JAYLEN BROWN SPLIT a pair of Dallas Mavericks defenders at the top of the key, took one more dribble, two full-speed steps after the gather and was ready for takeoff from just outside the restricted area.
It was late in the second quarter inside Boston’s TD Garden, and the paint had just turned into Brown’s private green runway. The Celtics’ star swingman, though, had company in front of the rim.
Maxi Kleber, the Mavs’ 6-foot-10 defensive-minded center/power forward who rose to challenge the 6-foot-6 Brown, was willing to risk winding up on the wrong end of a viral poster dunk by one of the league’s most explosive leapers.
Did he ever.
Brown detonated on Kleber with a vicious tomahawk to thrill a Sunday afternoon national TV audience and a sellout crowd, including legend Kevin Garnett, who slapped fives with Brown from his baseline seat to celebrate the moment.
Seconds later, the Celtics’ official account tweeted, “OH MY GOODNESS JAYLEN BROWN” with a video of the play that has garnered more than two million views. The NBA’s Twitter account, with its nearly 37 million followers, posted clips of replays from three different angles. It wasn’t long before Brown and Kleber, a relatively anonymous player, were trending — in large part because of a flood of tweets mocking Kleber’s epically failed contest.
OH MY GOODNESS JAYLEN BROWN pic.twitter.com/qMxlmLVKSL
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) March 13, 2022
Social feeds that night certainly weren’t filled with commentary about Kleber’s contributions to the Mavs’ comeback win: 13 rebounds and three blocks off the bench.
Kleber has been in this precarious position before. The last time he caught the attention of casual fans, it was in Dallas’ 2021 playoff opener, when Kleber unsuccessfully attempted to stop LA Clippers star Kawhi Leonard from finishing on a fast break.
Leonard flexed after throwing down a ferocious dunk. Kleber landed on his backside.
Leonard and teammates Paul George and Marcus Morris Sr. punctuated the play by…
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Source : espn
