Blinksportsnews247In an overtime thriller on Wednesday night at TD Garden, the Celtics overcame a nine-point deficit in the last four minutes of regulation to defeat the Wolves 127-120.
Two of the best teams in the league squared off, with Minnesota taking the lead over Boston in the fourth quarter thanks to strong plays from Karl-Anthony Towns and Anthony Edwards.
However, the Celtics rallied behind Jayson Tatum (45 points, 11 rebounds) and Jaylen Brown (35 points) to pull off the thrilling victory.
Boston had a first-half lead of up to ten points, but the Wolves gradually closed the gap and established a rhythm in the second half, increasing their lead to nine points with 3:35 left in regulation.
With a 9-0 run, Boston managed to get back into the game and came close to winning in regulation before winning in OT. In addition, Kristaps Porzingis (knee contusion) missed the game as the club extended their winning run at home to eighteen.
Boston won’t have much time to relax as they take on two of the best teams in the East when they return to the road on Thursday night, traveling to Milwaukee.
Four things can be learned from Wednesday’s game:
Jaylen Brown is still firing in the first quarters:
The offensive peak of the Celtics All-Star usually occurs early in games, and on Wednesday night, it held true. In the first quarter, Brown scored 15 points in a flash, making five of his seven shots, including three three-pointers.
Brown scored 15 points or more in the third quarter for the third time this season, and he is currently shooting over 57 percent for the year in the first quarter. Brown’s effective playmaking has played a significant role in the Boston offense’s superiority at the TD Garden throughout the season.
Travel problems left the Wolves shorthanded:
Minnesota’s trip from Orlando on Tuesday night was delayed by rain, and they did not arrive in Boston until six hours before the opening tip. The Wolves exercised additional caution with its veterans as a result of the unique flying schedule. Rudy Gobert was a late scratch due to a hip problem, while Mike Conley had his first night off of the season. The Wolves filled in for them with a strong performance by Naz Reid, who played with a lot of intensity. However, the Boston team, which had recovered from a long trip, was clearly the stronger team and the Wolves’ fatigue was evident in the last two minutes of the game when the Celtics scored nine points in a row to force OT.
The Celtics create history at home:
Coming into the game tied for the most home victories to start a season in the history of the team, Boston had defeated the Lakers 17 times in a row to match their record from 1957–58. As of Wednesday night, Boston was also riding a 24-game winning streak during the regular season at home, which dates back to March 2023. This put them only slightly behind a couple of great runs by the 1986 Celtics at the old Boston Garden. They dramatically extended both streaks on Wednesday night, setting new records for this team in the franchise record books with a 9-0 run in the last minutes of regulation and a stunning overtime performance by Tatum.
Wolves streak:
As of Wednesday night, Minnesota has not won at the TD Garden in 18 consecutive seasons, going all the way back to when Kevin Garnett was still a member of the team. Garnett and current Celtics assistant Sam Cassell were involved in the victory. Even with Mike Conley and Rudy Gobert missing for this game, Minnesota has had a few playoff teams during that long timeframe, but none had the talent of this Wolves team. But the Celtics secured themselves a three-game advantage over the Wolves for the best record in the NBA and continued their home court supremacy over them for another season.
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