The Boston Celtics defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves in a close game, 107-105. This was an anticipated Sunday afternoon matchup between two talented teams and multiple young stars. While this season has not started perfectly for Minnesota, Anthony Edwards came into Boston motivated, scoring 28 points. But Jaylen Brown was the star of the game, scoring 29 and shooting an electric 7-of-10 from three. Boston moved to 14-3 with the victory, while the Timberwolves dropped to 8-8.
Jaylen Brown’s Hot Start
The first half was close, but the main story was Brown. He got off to a hot start, shooting 5-of-7 from three in the half. Brown has struggled shooting beyond the arc all season, getting most of his buckets inside, but this game was different. He was hot early, draining five threes in the game’s opening minutes. Boston’s first 15 points came entirely from Jaylen’s three-pointers. This early onslaught gave the Celtics a lead, but outside of Brown, the team was slow out of the blocks.
Brown started the game 5-for-5, while the rest of the Celtics were 0-for-5 shooting. So, a few buckets from Edwards in the paint and on the perimeter helped put the Minnesota Timberwolves out front. Through the first quarter, the Minnesota Timberwolves led 27-24. The rest of the Celtics got back on track in the second, with a 9-0 run to open the quarter. From there, the two teams went back and forth, with Jayson Tatum and Julius Randle trading buckets. At halftime, Boston led 55-52.
The Boston Celtics Win Close
In the third quarter, the Celtics began to pull away. Tatum got multiple buckets from the perimeter and in the paint to extend the Celtics lead. Boston went on an astounding 24-6 run in the third, with Tatum, Brown, and Derrick White all catching fire. The TD Garden was rocking and showed just how quickly Boston can blow a game open with their pace and perimeter shooting. The Celtics led by as much as 19, but a few threes from Edwards kept the game competitive. At the end of the third quarter, Boston led 84-73.
The Timberwolves stayed hot in the fourth quarter and went on an 8-2 run to cut the Celtics double-digit lead down to five. Rob Dillingham’s quickness helped initiate the Minnesota offense and caught Boston off guard. It allowed for multiple drive and kick baskets and got the Celtics scrambling in rotations. Brown and White helped Boston’s offense get rolling again, setting up for a fun final stretch. White had 10 of his 19 points in the fourth quarter. With five minutes remaining, the Boston Celtics led 97-93.
Brown and Tatum attacked the paint for the Celtics, only for the Timberwolves to answer with buckets from Edwards and Jaden McDaniels. Both teams traded momentum until a McDaniels dunk made it 104-102 with two minutes to go, with Minnesota down by two.
Then, a Brown transition three gave the Celtics a five-point cushion. But a few Boston misses, and the Timberwolves gave Minnesota the final shot. The Timberwolves had seven seconds and ran a play for Edwards. Edwards drove to the hoop but passed it back out. The ball got swung around to Naz Reid, who missed the final shot, giving the Celtics the 107-105 win.
Final Thoughts
This win helps Boston improve to 14-3. Brown led the team with 29 points, shooting 7-of-10 from three. Tatum scored 26, and White had 19. Edwards led the Timberwolves with 28 points, and Randle had 23. Rudy Gobert also had 10 points and 20 rebounds. The Minnesota Timberwolves fall to 8-8 with the loss. They return home for their next game on November 26th against the Houston Rockets. Meanwhile, the Boston Celtics stay at the TD Garden for a back-to-back when they face the Los Angeles Clippers on Monday night.
