The Boston Celtics defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves on Sunday, 107-105, as the Wolves failed to complete their furious fourth-quarter rally after the returning Naz Reid clanked a potential game-winning three. Both Celtics stars Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown combined for 55 points, while Anthony Edwards put up 28 points, nine rebounds, and seven assists. Likewise, new acquisition Julius Randle scored 23 points and grabbed six boards. However, Jayson Tatum got a pleasant surprise upon seeing Ray Allen, part of their 2008 title squad, in attendance at TD Garden.
“Love when Ray pull up,” the star said on X, formerly Twitter, quoting the original post from the Celtics’ official account.
Celtics stars past and present
The Celtics’ performance against the Timberwolves should have impressed one of the best shooters in league history in Ray Allen, as Jayson Tatum and his teammates built a 19-point lead in the third quarter.
However, the Wolves rallied back in the fourth, chipping away at the lead, thanks to the team’s efforts and Rudy Gobert feasting on the offensive glass.
The Frenchman took advantage of the Celtics’ small-ball lineup and gobbled up 20 rebounds, eight of which came from offensive boards, giving his team more possessions and helping their comeback.
Finishing with 29 points, Brown hit a dagger three with less than two minutes left to make the score 107-102, but the Wolves managed to cut it to 107-105 with possession for the last shot.
Coming out of the timeout, Ant drove the ball into the paint and kicked it out to Jaden McDaniels, who made the extra pass to Reid, open at the top of the key. Reid had the open shot but the ball just didn’t go in.
On the other hand, while this was the Wolves’ second straight loss, the team did play better than their surprising Thursday defeat to the Toronto Raptors on their throwback homecourt on Thursday.
This team is better than their 8-8 record, but finding chemistry with two new high-value players takes some time. Moreover, their recent skid has caused trade rumors for Donte DiVincenzo, though the Wolves shut trade talks down quickly.
East playoffs
Meanwhile, the Celtics are 14-3, second in the Eastern Conference, but they still look like the best team in league, and so far they haven’t looked like they’ve already hit their stride.
After handing the Cleveland Cavaliers their first loss this season, the Celtics have established themselves as still the team to beat.
At this point of the season, it’s hard to imagine any East contender, including the Cavaliers, could defeat Boston in a seven-game series.
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