Despite missing the services of their leading scorer, Anthony Edwards, the Minnesota Timberwolves were still able to carve out a gritty 102–92 victory over the Eastern Conference powerhouse Boston Celtics on Monday’s NBA action.
Bones Hyland proved to be a reliable off-the-bench spark plug, as he led Minnesota’s offense with 23 points, 3 rebounds, and 3 assists, and had a team-high +26. Defensive wing Jaden McDaniels led the starters with 19 points and 6 rebounds.
“Every win means a lot, our standings are so close… So just making sure we can handle all the wins we can,” McDaniels said postgame.
Wolves Notch First Victory at the Garden in 21 Years
To make things sweeter, Minnesota’s victory against the Celtics also put an end to an 18-game losing streak at TD Garden that dated back to 2005, when the majority of the current Wolves’ roster were still learning how to walk.
Big man Naz Reid also saw his return to action after missing two games with an ankle sprain and tallied 11 points off the bench, while Rudy Gobert flirted with a double-double of 9 points and 14 rebounds, while recording a team-high 4 blocks.
Amid the absence of Edwards, the Wolves still held down defensively, holding the Celtics to only 92 points, while also sparking a 16–0 run of their own in the final quarter to seal the victory.
Tatum Struggles as Celtics Held to Horrendous Shooting Night
Playing in his eighth game since returning from an Achilles rupture from last year’s playoffs, C’s star Jayson Tatum was held scoreless in the opening half. Despite a hot third quarter, he finished with only 16 points on 6–16 shooting.
Jaylen Brown was the lone Celtic to get over the 20-point mark, finishing with 29 points. As a team, however, Boston shot an atrocious 36% from the field and only 27% from three. The loss now puts them only a game ahead of the New York Knicks for the second seed in the East.
The Celtics will try to build a new win streak when they face the reigning champions Oklahoma City Thunder on Thursday, while the Wolves will look to continue rolling against the Houston Rockets on the same day.
