After two banger matchups final season, the Boston Celtics and Minnesota Timberwolves are squaring off for the primary time within the new marketing campaign. Up to now, it’s been an thrilling back-and-forth recreation, however the Cs nonetheless have a 55-52 lead on the break.
Now, prepare for some Halftime Scorching Takes, buddy.
Jaylen Brown has had sufficient of the Celtics’ gradual begins
Jaylen Brown has been identified to pop off within the first quarter every now and then, however Sunday’s opening stretch was completely different. JB drilled 5 straight three-point makes an attempt to attain Boston’s first 15 factors on this one.
He acquired going off of some nice seems to be created by wonderful crew ball motion. Then that confidence developed into this:
I virtually fell out of my chair.
It’s felt like JB’s been due for a heater for fairly a while now. His three-point shot hasn’t fairly been there to this point this 12 months.
Jaylen Brown had been 14 of his final 68 (20.5%) from 3.
He made 5 straight to start the sport.
The Wolves and Celtics quit the fewest 3-point pictures within the NBA.
18 of the primary 23 pictures right now have been 3’s.
— Sean Grande (@SeanGrandePBP) November 24, 2024
Although he missed his subsequent two makes an attempt, the scorcher is actually one thing for Brown to construct off of going ahead.
The Celtics might need bought their souls for these 5 Jaylen threes
In order enjoyable because the opening minutes have been with the entire Jaylen triples, the remainder of the quarter was just about the alternative. The primary non-Jaylen-Brown factors got here with 2:50 left within the opening body when Jrue Vacation sank a pair of free throws.
That’s a LONG time to go with out anybody else placing the ball within the basket.
Payton Pritchard grew to become the second Celtic to make a subject purpose on the very subsequent possession, as he hit a fall-away shot over Rudy Gobert.
Up till that time, the remainder of the squad had shot a mixed 0-13 from the ground.
Not the perfect begin I’ve ever seen, I’ve to be trustworthy.
Boston was lucky sufficient to be down simply three factors by the point the quarter got here to an in depth.
Xavier Tillman’s rotation hopes stay alive
Xavier Tillman had been doing a number of watching from the sidelines previous to Friday’s win towards the Washington Wizards. Credit score to him, although. He made probably the most out of his look within the nation’s capital and earned himself some further burn towards Minnesota on Sunday.
Although he didn’t do something that’ll make you bounce out of your seat, he proved to be stable as soon as once more throughout his quick stint. Stable is basically the bar in the case of Boston’s backup bigs. Luke Kornet, who’s out vs. the Timberwolves, is the kind of participant that Joe Mazzulla can at all times depend on to defend, make sensible performs, and end his seems to be within the paint.
Tillman isn’t fairly the paint presence that Kornet is, however he offers the crew an added perimeter defensive possibility, permitting them to play a extra switchable model.
As well as, he’s a stable deicision maker, which may’t be mentioned about the entire crew’s huge guys.
It’s nice to see him wanting a bit extra comfy on the market, after struggling to start out his first full season as a Celtic.