Jaylen Brown led the charge in the Boston Celtics’ Game 3 victory

Jaylen Brown’s dedication to becoming a better player has transformed his team’s end-of-year projections. Throughout the regular season, it was Brown’s contributions that helped Boston clinch the second seed in the Eastern Conference standings.

After months of adversity, the Boston Celtics are in a prime position to steal an NBA Finals championship. Their efforts Wednesday night lifted the squad closer to their goal.

An opportunity to steal the series presented itself in Game 3’s matchup. After suffering an embarrassing loss in the previous game, Brown and his teammates were determined to have a better performance.

Led by the efforts of their veteran guard, the Celtics ended the first quarter with an 11-point lead. While Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson worked to find their groove, the Celtics focused on staying ahead on the scoreboard.

Jaylen Brown, Boston Celtics turn defense into efficient offense

Playing solid defense and limiting transition offense allowed the Celtics to improve on their first-quarter showing. The Celtics scored 35 points in the second quarter. Contributions from players like Grant Williams and Marcus Smart gave TD Garden a shock of energy that lasted the duration of the game.

Maintaining a lead in the third quarter has been an issue for the Celtics so far in this series. In the first two games, Golden State has outscored Boston by 35 points. In Game 3, however, despite 25-point contributions from the Splash brothers, the Celtics managed to maintain their lead. Al Horford and Smart continued to make plays without the basketball, creating opportunities for other players to find their groove.

When the Golden State Warriors seemed like they were creeping back into the game, Jayson Tatum responded with an aggressive layup, keeping his team’s lead safe.

A one-point Celtic lead helped the squad keep composure in the final quarter. While Steve Kerr and his staff worked on plays to get their team back in the game, Boston worked on solidifying a needed victory. Defense and tenacious rebounding helped the Celtics close the chance of an electric comeback.

Boston’s big men hauled almost twice as many offensive rebounds as Golden State. When the final buzzer sounded, the Celtics were the night’s victors, taking control of the series two games to one.

Boston Celtics will look to take a two-game lead

Game 4 of the NBA finals will take place at TD Garden on Friday, and Boston has a chance to take a two-game lead. Playing in front of their home crowd provided the team a spark during Wednesday’s meeting – something the team will look for their next time on the hardwood.

Keeping Jaylen Brown involved on offense will benefit Boston again later this week. His 27 points led the team in scoring in Game 3.

Improving on creating open shots will be the focus for Steve Kerr and the Warriors squad. If they want to win another Larry O’Brien trophy, they must find ways to score on Boston’s elite defense.