Jayson Tatum delivered a near triple-double, scoring 33 points, dishing nine assists, and grabbing eight rebounds as the Boston Celtics narrowly defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves 118-115 on Thursday night. The Celtics, now 25-9, kicked off their four-game road trip with a crucial victory.
Derrick White contributed 26 points, connecting on five three-pointers, while Sam Hauser, starting in place of the injured Jaylen Brown, added 15 points with five triples of his own. Boston’s offense leaned on Tatum’s brilliance and a well-rounded team effort to secure the win.
Julius Randle led Minnesota with 27 points, eight rebounds, and seven assists, but his effort fell short as the Timberwolves dropped to 17-16. Bench scorer Naz Reid contributed 20 points, and Jaden McDaniels chipped in 19 points and eight boards in a valiant but unsuccessful comeback attempt.
Despite trailing by eight with two minutes left, Minnesota had a chance to force overtime. Anthony Edwards, who struggled with 15 points on 5-of-16 shooting, missed a contested three-pointer at the buzzer, sealing the Celtics’ win.
Boston limited its mistakes, committing just four turnovers while forcing 16 from Minnesota. This discipline proved critical in a tight game. The Celtics’ defense also held Rudy Gobert to just six points, neutralizing one of Minnesota’s interior threats.
Minnesota saw standout performances from Randle and Reid but struggled to maintain consistency. Despite shooting an impressive 53.8% from beyond the arc, turnovers and missed opportunities in crunch time hindered their effort.
