The Celtics made it interesting late, but it wasn’t enough in a 119-115 loss to the Timberwolves on Saturday in Minnesota. Anthony Edwards hit an impressive 3-pointer to put the C’s away. Boston fell to 10-9 while Minnesota improved to 11-8.
The Celtics offense hummed early, putting up 69 points in the first half with Jaylen Brown scoring 27. But it was all Wolves in the second half, even building a 12-point lead late in the fourth quarter. That’s when the Celtics woke up, going on a 12-0 run to quickly tie the game. Still, the Wolves made enough plays to put the C’s away.
There was a chance the Celtics could have been shorthanded for Saturday’s game since they had three starters listed on the injury report. But all of Brown, Neemias Queta and Derrick White were upgraded to available. Still, it wasn’t enough for the Celtics as their offense sputtered in the second half. Queta made his return after a one-game absence due to a sprained ankle.
Brown had 41 points, seven assists and five steals to pace the Celtics as he seemingly couldn’t miss in the first half. Queta added 19 points and 18 rebounds (more on him later). Edwards led the Timberwolves with 39 points and five assists.
The Celtics face the Cavaliers next at 6 p.m. Sunday in Cleveland as part of a back-to-back. Here are four takeaways from Boston’s loss to Minnesota:
Offense struggles: The Celtics had all the momentum when they were on a 12-0 run in the fourth quarter to tie the game. But, in the end, the Wolves pulled away. It was a tough offensive showing for the Celtics in the second half despite the great showing in the first. Boston scored just 46 points in the second half, shooting 16-for-44 (36.4%) from the field. The Celtics also dropped to 4-7 in clutch games after Saturday’s loss, which has been a season-long issue.
Tough showings: It was a forgettable night for White and Payton Pritchard as the Celtics’ starting guards struggled shooting the ball. Pritchard had nine points, five rebounds and four assists, shooting 4-for-14 from the field and 1-for-8 on 3s. White finished with 16 points and five assists, but he was 6-for-16 overall and 2-for-8 on 3s. It’s not exactly a surprise the Celtics struggled offensively when their starting backcourt couldn’t get it going Saturday.
Making a return: Queta showed Saturday exactly what he brings on a nightly basis. He had four offensive rebounds in the first six minutes of the game, finishing with eight of them on the night. It was a stellar showing for the big man as his impact was felt. He was forced to miss the win over the Pistons due to an ankle sprain he suffered, but that didn’t slow him down in Minnesota.
Rebounding edge: The Wolves have size up front with Rudy Gobert and are one of the better rebounding teams in the league. But it was the C’s who came out early with a flurry of six offensive rebounds in the first six minutes of action. Boston finished with 14 offensive rebounds while Minnesota had five Saturday. That led to a 16-9 edge in second-chance points for the Celtics. Considering that’s been a season-long weakness for the Celtics, it was a positive Saturday.
