BSJ Game Report: Celtics 118, Timberwolves 115 - Tatum, White, power impressive start to road trip

Everything you need to know about the Celtics' win over the Timberwolves, with BSJ insight and analysis.

IN A NUTSHELL

The Celtics started cold from 3 but recovered to keep up with the hot-shooting Timberwolves and keep it within seven heading into the second. Sam Hauser fueled a big run to tie things up and Boston started rolling from there getting a big contribution from Neemias Queta and winning the quarter by 18. The Wolves cut five off the lead in the third and tied it in the fourth, but Jayson Tatum and Derrick White carried the C’s down the stretch for the win.

Box Score

HEADLINES

- Great win: Even without Kristaps Porzingis or Jaylen Brown, this was the kind of effort and execution we want to see out of the Celtics. They took the hits from Minnesota and never wavered. They played really good defense despite Minnesota getting hot from deep, they moved the ball well, and they made plays down the stretch. This will be a strong candidate for best win of the season. 

- Jayson Tatum wins battle of the superstars: He put up 33 points, nine assists, eight rebounds, and three steals. 

“(He) obviously made some great shots, but I just thought his intentionality on the offensive end was really good,” Joe Mazzulla said after the game. “He started the night out on (Anthony) Edwards, which is something that he wanted, and I thought he took on the challenge of that. So he was great tonight.” 

Tatum was great, but Edwards was not. Aside from a hot start, Edwards was a non-factor scoring just 15 points on 5-16 shooting. 

- Derrick White the closer: He had 13 points in the fourth quarter to hold off the Timberwolves, including a banked-in 3-pointer as he was falling out of bounds on the right sideline. He had it all working on both ends of the floor, but stepping up late in the game without Jaylen Brown in the lineup was massive. 

TURNING POINT 

The Celtics went on an 11-3 run starting at the 6:25 mark of the fourth quarter after Edwards made it a one-point game. Tatum scored just once, but he assisted on three of the Celtics' baskets, including two from Al Horford after what had been a quiet offensive night. The eight-point lead proved to be insurmountable.

THINGS I LIKED

- Jayson Tatum attacking Rudy Gobert: He destroyed Gobert so thoroughly that the Defensive Player of the Year was benched for the entire fourth quarter. Tatum did whatever he wanted, pulling up from 3, crossing Gobert over and dunking, driving and pulling up in the mid-range. Tatum had an MVP-level night and most of it was feasting on Gobert. He gave Minnesota no choice but to sit Gobert when it mattered.

- Derrick White: The ultimate “you know why” game. He made shots from 3, he made shots from 2, he passed the ball, he played defense, he was good in the clutch. All of this on a day when he was 10th among East guards in All-Star fan voting. Put him in the positions some of those other guards above him are in, and I’d bet he’d thrive and get more votes. 

Good thing for Boston that's not the case. 

- Sam Hauser: He scored nine of his 15 points in a critical second quarter. I could easily have used that stretch as a turning point because it’s where the game flipped from Minnesota’s control to Boston’s. And even though the Timberwolves did briefly re-take the lead, I don’t think they ever really took control of the game. Hauser was a huge reason why. And not only that, I thought he had some very nice defensive moments as well. 

- Neemias Queta: Best game I’ve seen him play. He’s had games with bigger numbers but I think his defense was really good, he was active on the boards, and he put himself in position to score. He had one stretch where he locked up Julius Randle then came down and had an incredible offensive rebound to keep a possession alive.

“He played a hell of a game tonight,” Tatum said. “I say it all the time, it’s a tough position that he's in, never knowing when he's going to play, when his number's going to be called. But the minutes that he gave us tonight off the bench, +17 in 21 minutes, he was very, very impactful.”

- The second quarter: Like Jaylen Brown once said, hang it in the Louvre. This was one of the best stretches of basketball the Celtics played all season. They were great on both ends of the court, they played with great pace, and they got contributions from everyone, including a stretch with Tatum on the bench. If you’re ever in a bad mood and have 15 minutes to spare, play this quarter to cheer yourself up.

- The defense on Anthony Edwards: Tatum and the rest of the Celtics did an incredible job on Edwards, limiting him to just six points in the second half. Edwards did have six assists, but maaan did he hate passing the ball. After the game, he had one of the more unhinged quotes I’ve heard out of a star player. Sorry, but I’m saving that for my second piece tonight. 

- The turnover battle: This really is where the game was won. Boston forced 16 turnovers for 22 points while only committing four for four points. Boston’s ball protection while turning the Timberwolves over was why the Celtics got up 92 shots to Minnesota’s 74. The Celtics hit 38.6% of their 3-pointers, which I would call a normal good shooting night. But they needed that volume to get up to 22 makes because Minnesota made 21. If Boston turned the ball over even at a normal rate, they would have lost. 

THINGS I DIDN’T LIKE

- Over-helping: I’ll pull back the curtain on this one … I put this here in the third quarter as Minnesota was making their comeback. It was sort of a placeholder in case things went south because I thought the Celtics overreacted to some matchups that they should have left alone. But instead of deleting it and giving these guys a pass because of how good the defense was otherwise, I think it's worth mentioning film-session style. There's always something to take, and what the hell, we're here.  

After this win, it seems a little nit-picky, but Mazzulla is always talking about 10-15 possessions that need cleaning up in every game. I can probably find 10 over-helps that were overreactions and, off the top of my head, I’d bet Minnesota scored on six or seven of them. I know guys like Tatum see Hauser on Julius Randle and think “oh crap, must help,” but he (and others) made some rash decisions that ended up leading to open 3-pointers. That's the difference between a tight win that could have gone to overtime and a comfortable win with some garbage time mixed in.

HIGHLIGHTS

ONE TAKE KARALIS WILL PROBABLY REGRET LATER

- The Celtics should NOT have won this game

You know how we always say there will be games a team like the Celtics shouldn’t lose, but they will be balanced by games they shouldn’t win. 

We’re usually talking about games where the team plays like total crap but steals the game at the end. This definitely wasn’t that. The Celtics earned the win, but also, Minnesota shot the ball soooo well, that they probably should have won the game. 

Teams who shoot 54% from 3, making 21 of them, and who also go 20-22 from the line win those games. Boston had to play great in every other phase of this game just to have a chance, nevermind win. That's what makes this win so impressive. 

Next up: The Celtics go to Houston for a back-to-back game tomorrow night at 8 p.m.