Nick Wosika-USA TODAY Sports
Here's What Stood Out in Celtics' Win vs. Timberwolves: Boston's Defense Keys Bounce-Back Victory
After a loss to the Rockets that left a sour taste in the Celtics' mouth, they locked in defensively to improve to 2-1 on their six-game road trip.
The Timberwolves got 28 points from burgeoning star Anthony Edwards and outplayed Boston in the final frame, outscoring the visitors 31-27.
But for much of the night, the Celtics kept Minnesota out of the paint, applied tight on-ball pressure, and got out to contest shots. Both teams also missed a lot of good looks.
The Timberwolves shot 12/36 from behind the arc, and Boston, who converted on only 40.5 percent of its field goals, went 12/40 (30 percent) from long range.
But Jaylen Brown generated a game-high 35 points to help overcome Jayson Tatum finishing with 22 on 4/16 shooting, including 0/8 on threes.
And even though the Celtics went from doing well to limit Minnesota's second-chance points through three quarters and taking care of the ball to struggling in both areas in the final frame, the visitors did enough to survive down the stretch.
Now, a deep dive into what stood out in each quarter of Boston's 104-102 win.
Celtics Sharp Defensively in the First Frame
It took a few possessions, but the Celtics were locked in defensively in the first frame. Their on-ball pressure, keeping the Timberwolves out of the paint, and their ability to close out and contest shots led to the hosts scoring 23 points in the first 12 minutes.
Boston consistently created quality shots offensively but could've attacked the gaps more to get in and around the paint and play inside-out basketball with greater regularity.
It also didn't help that the visitors couldn't find the mark on a lot of clean looks from behind the arc. It resulted in the Celtics also putting 23 points on the board. They shot 34.6 percent from the field, including 3/12 (25 percent) on threes.
Jaylen Brown paced Boston with eight points. Jayson Tatum chipped in five. Anthony Edwards led all scorers with ten in the opening period.
Joe Mazzulla's substitution patterns were also noteworthy in the first quarter. It started with Grant Williams joining Malcolm Brogdon as the first Celtics' to check-in. They did so at the 6:45 mark.
Just over two minutes later, with Williams having entered the game for Tatum, Brown subbed out for Sam Hauser. It's rare to see Tatum and Brown off the floor at the same time when the two are available.
New rotations are a way to keep players fresh throughout the night, and breaking monotony can create energy. It'll be interesting to see how Mazzulla's substitution patterns flow the rest of the game.
Cold Shooting Continues for Both Sides in the Second Quarter
Brogdon generated the first five points the Celtics scored to begin the second frame. He did so exclusively by attacking the basket, which also led to a trip to the free-throw line.
Brogdon's aggressive approach fueled a 12-2 run, giving the visitors a 31-25 advantage.
Nearly halfway through the period, Brown picked up a technical for chest bumping Rudy Gobert while expressing his displeasure with what he felt was an intentional elbow to the face as Gobert rolled to the rim after setting a screen on Brown.
Given that he's wearing a mask to protect a facial fracture, one can understand his anger with that act, regardless of whether it was a basketball play. Brown clearly didn't believe it was.
Between the Stifle Tower's dunk before the technical, the ensuing free throw, and a pair of threes on Minnesota's following two possessions, the Timberwolves' 9-1 burst helped them pull within two, 37-35, with 4:01 left in the first half.
Those threes coming on clean looks reflect Boston's beyond-the-arc defense slipping. It's one thing to leave a poor shooter like Nickeil Alexander-Walker open in the corners and close out late to him to protect the rim; it's another to end up in situations where players like Edwards and Mike Conley are getting uncontested long-range attempts.
But both teams were cold throughout the first half. The hosts registered 20 points in the second frame, missing a lot of open looks, converting on only 29.2 percent of their field goals, including 4/16 threes.
They entered halftime with 43 points despite Edwards leading all scorers with 18 at the break.
But the Celtics deserve credit for their on-ball pressure and keeping Minnesota out of the paint. The Timberwolves manufactured four points from there in the second quarter after generating 12 in the first.
They also limited the hosts to five offensive rebounds and five second-chance points in the game's initial 24 minutes.
Brown led Boston with 13 points at halftime, helping the visitors cling to a 44-43 edge at the break despite scoring 21 in the second period.
Tatum provided 11 points and seven rebounds, and Brogdon contributed ten off the bench. The latter was the driving force behind the Celtics' 12-2 advantage in bench points.
Both Offenses Find Ways to Heat Up in the Third Frame
With Tatum on Gobert, the Celtics had trouble containing the pick-and-roll to start the second half. The ball-handler getting downhill created opportunities for the Timberwolves' center to finish above the rim on multiple occasions.
In a concerning moment five minutes into the third frame, as Tatum threw down a dunk, his foot made contact with Gobert's leg, causing him to spin, lose his grip on the rim, and fall hard on his lower back.
The four-time All-Star stayed down for a bit, but he stayed in the game. He appeared to be moving less fluidly, but not needing to go to the locker room or head to the bench is an encouraging sign.
Tatum's four points from his dunk, the free throw for Gobert's flagrant-1, and the made foul shot after the Stifle Tower got a technical for flexing following a dunk, coupled with Brown cleaning up his own miss at the rim, helped Boston stage a 10-2 run. That gave the visitors a 71-57 advantage with 5:50 remaining in the period.
Blake Griffin brought energy off the bench and stayed active at both ends of the floor, but with him in drop coverage when Edwards came off screens by Naz Reid, the latter repeatedly made the visitors pay, popping out for open threes.
Reid helped the hosts stage a 9-2 run to end the third quarter, trimming the deficit to 77-71 entering the final frame. The former LSU Tiger led all scorers with nine points in the period.
Horford registered eight points, and Brown produced seven. And after generating 23 or fewer in the first two frames, the Celtics generated 33. Fourteen came from the paint, and they went 4/11 behind the arc.
Celtics Survive in the Final Frame
Marcus Smart, matched up with Reid in the low post, made a terrific defensive play early in the fourth quarter, anticipating when the latter would attack middle, knocked the ball free, then dove to the floor for the steal.
With Boston ahead 92-86, a foul on Smart, boxing out Gobert, put the visitors over the limit with 6:19 left.
Over the next few minutes, the Celtics committed costly turnovers, had trouble keeping the Timberwolves off the offensive glass, had a consistent problem without Robert Williams, and struggled to contain Edwards.
The former first-overall pick scored eight points in less than five minutes, helping Minnesota pull within four, then tossed a lob to Gobert for an alley-oop that narrowed the gap to 97-95 with 2:45 to play.
Of the hosts' 24 points at that juncture, 14 were in the paint, seven were on second-chance opportunities, and seven stemmed from turnovers.
The visitors are white knuckling their way to the finish line and don't seem confident in what they're running offensively.
In a wild ending, Tatum, struggling from the field, gave the ball up to Brown, whose drive created an open three for Smart at the left wing. Smart's shot was off the mark, but Grant Williams, in the game to help on the defensive glass, grabbed the board.
With Williams doing everything he could to protect the ball while surrounded by Timberwolves, Mazzulla was screaming for a timeout, but the officials didn't seem to hear him. Williams got it knocked free but dove to retain it, leading to a tie-up and a jump ball, to the dismay of a perplexed Mazzulla.
But Williams won the tip against Gobert, tapping it to Tatum, who capitalized on both free throws, extending the visitors' lead to 103-99 with 01.1 seconds left.
After a pair of technicals on Edwards and Kyle Anderson, a made free throw by Tatum, and a meaningless three by Conley, The Celtics got back into the win column with a 104-102 victory, improving to 2-1 on their six-game road trip.
Up Next
The Celtics head to the west coast for a game against the Trail Blazers on Friday night; the matchup tips off at 10 pm EST. Inside The Celtics will have content related to the game before, during, and afterward. And follow @BobbyKrivitsky on Twitter for updates and analysis from pregame to post.
Further Reading
Jayson Tatum Opens Up About Damon Stoudamire Leaving Celtics for Georgia Tech
Celtics Convey What They're Focused on Improving as the Playoffs Approach
Here's What Stood Out in Celtics' Loss vs. Rockets: Boston Pays for Not Sticking with What Works
