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Jaylen Brown, Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics came into Sunday night’s primetime matchup at TD Garden as one of the hottest teams in the Eastern Conference. The Minnesota Timberwolves, playing without star guard Anthony Edwards due to a knee injury, had other ideas.
Minnesota dominated the fourth quarter 26-15 and held on for a 102-92 victory, handing Boston a loss that felt out of character. The Celtics missed 24 of 33 attempts from beyond the arc, were outrebounded 56-53, and converted just 35.8% of their field goal attempts. They fell to 47-24 on the season.
After the game, Jaylen Brown walked into a quiet locker room and did not look for excuses.
Brown Takes Personal Responsibility After Tough Night
GettyBoston Celtics forward Jaylen Brown.
Brown led the Celtics with 29 points on the night but went scoreless in the fourth quarter, the stretch that decided the game. He entered with 7:30 remaining and the Celtics trailing 87-81. He attacked the rim three times in the final 12 minutes. None of it worked.
He owned it afterwards.
“I feel like sometimes when the game gets away from you a little bit, you want to be more aggressive and sometimes you need to be more patient,” Brown said. “So for me personally, I could have been more patient on a lot of possessions.”
He went further. “I don’t feel like I was as patient as I needed to be this game for my team. And I feel like that ultimately cost us.”
The self-assessment was sharp. Brown has carried this team through much of the season, particularly during Jayson Tatum‘s absence. The instinct to take over in a big moment is not a flaw. Sunday night, however, the execution was not there, and he knew it.
What Went Wrong for the Celtics
HeavyJoe Mazzulla, Boston Celtics.
The loss was not entirely on Brown. The Celtics struggled to generate any consistent offense throughout the night, and the rebounding battle went against them in a way that compounded every missed shot.
“There’s a lot of pressure, especially when we’re not making shots or the other team is playing a little bit harder than us,” Brown said. “Tonight wasn’t an example of what we’ve been doing all season.”
He was direct about the broader performance too. “We didn’t play Celtics basketball tonight.”
Minnesota’s adjustments in the fourth quarter made life difficult. The Timberwolves went smaller, played faster, and got more physical. Ayo Dosunmu was outstanding, finishing with 17 points, eight rebounds, and six assists. Bones Hyland came off the bench and drained shots with confidence, finishing with 23 points. The pair combined for nine fourth-quarter points — the same total as Boston’s entire starting lineup in that stretch.
“Fourth quarter, they got it rolling and we didn’t respond, we didn’t answer,” Brown said. “So they just kept piling on.”
Brown was also quick to credit the opposition. “Give credit to Minnesota. They went smaller, they played faster, they got more physical, and they made shots — and that put pressure on us too.”
Why Sunday Night Should Be Kept in Context
The Celtics are 47-24. They have been one of the best teams in the league for the majority of the season. Sunday was an off night rather than a sign of something deeper.
Boston is 9-14 this season when outrebounded, which tells its own story. When they control the glass and make shots, they are a different team entirely. Neither happened on Sunday.
“Not a characteristic game of us,” Brown said. “But we learn from it and move on.”
The reigning champion Oklahoma City Thunder come to TD Garden on Wednesday night. The Celtics will need to be considerably sharper.
Final Word for the Celtics
Brown scored 29 points and still found a way to hold himself accountable for the result. That is the standard he has set this season.
Sunday was an off night. The Celtics know it, Brown knows it, and the way they respond on Wednesday will say more about this team than the loss itself.
Move on. Get better. The Thunder are coming.
Keith Watkins Keith Watkins is a sports journalist covering the NBA for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Golden State Warriors, Boston Celtics, and Los Angeles Lakers. He previously wrote for FanSided, NBA Analysis Network, and Last Word On Sports. Keith is based in Bangkok, Thailand. More about Keith Watkins
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