BOSTON – Jaylen Brown was in the spotlight early Sunday in the Celtics’ game against the Timberwolves. It made sense: In the opening minutes of the game, Brown knocked down five 3-pointers while sending the TD Garden crowd into a frenzy.

But toward the end of the game, as the Celtics fended off the Timberwolves, Brown was crucial with his two-way play. He played Anthony Edwards several times, trying to keep the Wolves star off balance. Brown takes pride in his defense, which he showed in the Celtics’ win over the Timberwolves on Sunday. Brown’s 29 points on 7-of-10 3-point shooting were huge for the Celtics, but so was his work defensively.

“That’s my job,” Brown said. “It takes a lot on both sides of the ball – you have to be in shape to chase a lot of these guys. Especially the best players on each team. I’m trying to wear them out. Trying to influence their catches. It’s like the littlest things. Trying to contest their shots.”

• BETTING: Check out our MA guide to sports bettingwhere you can learn basic terminology, definitions and odds for those interested in learning how to bet in Massachusetts.

Brown has made that concerted effort to focus on his two-way game, especially starting last year. Before the start of the 2023-24 season, Brown indicated he wanted to make an All-Defensive team. He took that goal to heart, even if he didn’t get much attention when it came to his defense. The physical guard often took on the other team’s best player on defense every night. So while he didn’t get as many shots, he seemed to impact the game in a different way.

That impact is not lost on the rest of his teammates. The Celtics employ skilled defensemen throughout their roster. Both Derrick White and Jrue Holiday made the All-Defensive second team last season; Holiday is considered one of the best perimeter defenders in the league. As C’s coach Joe Mazzulla preaches, when one of the team’s best players also commits to defense, it comes with some extra strength.

“It’s great to see a player of his caliber taking defense to the next level and taking games personally,” said Mazzulla. “When your best players are your best defenders, it sets the tone defensively for your team and your locker room. So he takes pride in individual competitions and he did a great job tonight.”

Brown has praised his fellow two-way players – also pointing out the physical toll it takes to play on both sides over the course of the season. That was noticeable for Brown, as he showed up to training camp in great shape. Brown’s impact was obviously on display last season when he was named East Finals and then NBA Finals MVP. So Sunday was more of the same for Brown as the Celtics improved to 14-3.

“Don’t give anything easy – that was my focus,” Brown said. “To be able to know what play they’re playing, pre-switch it and see where it goes. I can blow up plays. I try to do that a lot, and that requires studying film. Just try to make everything difficult.