Jaylen Brown and the Boston Celtics needed to make a statement early in Game 3 of the NBA Finals at home against the Golden State Warriors Wednesday evening.
Boston was blown out in Game 2 in San Francisco, leading to a 1-1 series tie heading back for its first NBA Finals home game since all the way back in 2010.
Well, the Celtics more than responded. They took a 26-11 lead with 3:48 remaining in the first quarter. By that point, Jaylen Brown (12 points) had already outscored the entire Warriors team.
Boston was hitting on pretty much every shot as the Warriors struggled on defense. Stephen Curry picked up two early fouls. A struggling Klay Thompson missed each of his first three shots.
As for Brown, he hit on 6-of-9 from the field while scoring 17 points in the opening stanza. The star guard added five rebounds and three assists as the Celtics took a 33-22 lead after the first quarter. He was legit throughout that first 12 minutes.
For a player in Brown who struggled to the tune of 5-of-17 shooting in Game 2, this really had to feel good. It also has the Celtics looking pretty darn good as they look to take a 2-1 series lead.