The Boston Celtics defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves 127-120 in overtime Wednesday night behind a big showing from Jayson Tatum. With the victory the Celtics move to a perfect 18-0 to open the season, a franchise record. Boston is now 29-8 for the year overall.
Both teams were without key pieces, especially down low. For Boston, Kristaps Porzingis missed the game with a right knee contusion. Fellow European big man Rudy Gobert, meanwhile, was absent for Minnesota with a hip injury. This hampered the Celtics defense at times, while the Timberwolves were more resilient in getting stops for most of the night.
Thanks to a combined 80 points from Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, however, it didn’t matter. Boston roared back in the fourth quarter to force overtime, ultimately walking away with a win.
Here’s what you missed from Boston’s 127-120 overtime victory against Minnesota.
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— The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) January 10, 2024
Boston offense
Heading into the game, Minnesota owned the No. 1 ranked defense in the NBA and have help opponents to a league-best 44% shooting. Making things happen on offense was always going to be a little clunky.
Likewise, the 3-point shot figured to play a big role for Boston, as it often does. With an undersized Timberwolves in the visitor locker room, the Celtics really looked to take advantage, at times to their own detriment. While Boston finished 19-for-47 from deep, there were long stretches where they failed to generate much offense, although they did find their groove down the stretch, using a 16-to-7 in the final 4 minutes of the game to force overtime.
Led by Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, Boston found its offensive footing with the game on the line. Tatum alone had 26 points in the fourth quarter and overtime, powering his team to a win. He ended the game with 45 points, 4 rebounds, and 2 assists, while Brown turned in 35 points, 11 rebounds, and 3 assists of his own.
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— The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) January 11, 2024
Boston's defense
The ability to defend the rim was a big problem for the Celtics. For the game, Minnesota scored 50 points in the paint, compared to 34 for Boston.
Anthony Edwards in particular looked to attack the cup. The former Georgia Bulldog finished the game with 29 points to go with 3 assists and 6 rebounds.
Boston was more successful at containing Edwards’ co-star, Karl-Anthony Towns. The big man struggled to score the ball with much consistency, thanks in part to a hands-on defensive approach from the Celtics. Towns was able to contributed 25 points hard-earned points, with Minnesota’s role players doing the rest. Five players scored in double-figures for the T-Wolves.
With the game on the line, the Celtics defense settled in. They made stops when they needed to, opening things up on offense, too. It was an inconsistent defensive showing, but Boston got it done when it mattered.
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— The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) January 9, 2024
Looking ahead
When these two teams met back in early November, Edwards and the Timberwolves pulled out a gutsy overtime home victory. This time around, it was Boston who secured an equally plucky win.
It will be a quick turnaround for the Celtics, though. Tomorrow night they face Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks on the road. From there, they return to Boston to host Ime Udoka and the Houston Rockets. In fact, the Celtics have a number of big games on the board for the next few weeks, with matchups against some of the league’s best clubs.
Celtics' Jayson Tatum to star in new Netflix documentary with other NBA stars https://t.co/mvFfMdi0Id pic.twitter.com/5svTQCX9MK
— The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) January 10, 2024
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