Anthony Edwards delivered 39 points and buried a difficult late 3-pointer as the Minnesota Timberwolves edged the Boston Celtics 119-115 on Saturday night at Target Center.
Minnesota strengthened its position in the Western Conference at 11-8 while earning its first win of the season against a team above .500, a hurdle the group had repeatedly failed to clear through November.
Jaylen Brown matched a season high with 41 points for Boston, which dropped to 10-9 after winning five of its previous six games.
Edwards hit the decisive shot with 14 seconds left, recovering a loose dribble before launching a contested 3 over Derrick White that stretched the lead to 118-112.
The sequence capped a night in which Edwards continued his dominant stretch, raising his four-game scoring average to 38.5 points.
Minnesota built a 110-98 advantage with 3:52 remaining thanks to nine straight points from Edwards, including a basket created off a scramble when Rudy Gobert secured an offensive rebound and Donte DiVincenzo swung the ball to Edwards cutting down the lane.
Boston responded with a 12-0 run, driven by five points from Brown and a three-point burst from Neemias Queta, who finished with a career-best 19 points and a career-high 18 rebounds.
Queta’s interior play helped Boston erase Minnesota’s lead and tie the score at 110 with 1:38 left before Edwards answered again.
Minnesota also received 16 points from Julius Randle and 15 from DiVincenzo, with six Wolves reaching double figures.
Terrence Shannon Jr. added timely scoring with five points during a 24-12 third-quarter surge that pushed Minnesota ahead 94-92 entering the fourth.
Brown, listed as questionable due to low back spasms, opened the game with 19 first-quarter points and finished the first half with 27.
Boston controlled the opening stretch behind that performance, taking a 69-59 lead to halftime before Minnesota tightened defensive coverage and improved its perimeter efficiency.
Shannon, Randle, and Jaden McDaniels supported Edwards’ shot creation as the Timberwolves hit 21 threes on 44 percent shooting.
White added 16 points for Boston, while Payton Pritchard and Jordan Walsh combined for 13.
Gobert anchored Minnesota’s interior with eight rebounds and three assists as the Wolves held the Celtics to 45 percent shooting overall.
The Celtics continue their road trip Sunday night in Cleveland, while the Timberwolves stay home to face the San Antonio Spurs on Sunday.
