The Boston Celtics are rolling again to begin the new NBA season, and it’s happened despite a cold shooting start from the reigning NBA Finals MVP. Jaylen Brown had not been able to buy a bucket from the outside entering Sunday afternoon’s matchup with the Minnesota Timberwolves, shooting only 28.4 percent from three-point range.
Brown is typically a much better shooter than that, so it stood to reason that his numbers were eventually going to regress to the mean. That happened in a big way to start the game against Minnesota.
Brown knocked down all five of his three-point attempts in the first four minutes of the game. The Timberwolves broadcasters who were keenly aware of Brown’s shooting struggles this season couldn’t believe what they were watching. Check out the video of Brown nailing shot after shot as Minnesota’s announcers have a full-blown meltdown.
“You look at his shot chart, it is not good,” Minnesota’s broadcasters say as he hits his first shot from the field. “Literally from that spot on the floor, he’s 4-of-23 on the season. Literally, I would give him that shot.”
Brown’s shooting chart may have been ugly entering the game, but everyone knows he’s a very good player. Brown was still averaging 25.3 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 4.1 assists entering the game, and he put the full breadth of his talents on display in the Celtics’ win.
Boston beat the Timberwolves, 107-105, as Minnesota missed the game-winner at the buzzer. Brown ended the game with 29 points by shooting 7-of-10 from three-point range. That will help the old shooting percentages.
The Celtics are now 14-3 on the season. Boston is just now getting Kristaps Porzingis back in the lineup, and will have a strong chance to become the NBA’s first back-to-back champions since Kevin Durant’s Warriors. Brown might have had a cold shooting stretch to open this year, but he’s going to be just fine.
