Celtics, 107, Wolves 105: Boston Survives Minnesota’s 19-point Comeback Attempt

The Celtics dynamic duo Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown caught fire from deep, burying the Timberwolves in a 19-point second-half deficit the Wolves could not overcome

Following a deflating loss north of the border, the Minnesota Timberwolves took the weekend on the road to reflect and regroup. The NBA season doesn’t wait for anyone, and the Wolves stormed into the belly of the best to take on the defending champion Boston Celtics in the TD Garden.

With Mike Conley out of the starting lineup with a left toe strain, most would assume that Nickeil Alexander-Walker would be in line for his 3rd start. Chris Finch, however, opted to show faith in newcomer Donte DiVincenzo making his first start as a Timberwolf. The Boston Celtics came out swinging behind Jaylen Brown’s blitzkrieg from the perimeter. Brown connected on his first four attempts from deep, catapulting the Celtics to an early 15-6 lead.

Following a red-hot start from deep, the Celtics shooting began to cool and Rudy Gobert’s dominance on the boards settled the Timberwolves into the game. Buoyed by Randle and Anthony Edwards, the Timberwolves offense burst out on a 9-0 run to take a 17-15 lead. Rookie Rob Dillingham, has been launched into the rotation in Conley’s absence and wasted little time making his mark. The shifty Kentucky guard beat his man with a quick first step for a beautiful finish.

Early in the season, Randle’s ability to stem the tide while Edwards sits was crucial in Timberwolves wins. He was aggressive again today, notching 7 points in the first four minutes of the 2nd. Randle and Naz Reid have struggled to produce positively together this season, making it encouraging to see signs of an effective two-man game. The Celtics and Wolves traded runs and closed the half 52-55 Boston.

(Editor’s Note: If you are reading this on Apple News, please click here so you can view embedded videos important to the analysis, and enjoy the best overall reading experience.)

The Timberwolves let go of the rope coming out of the half, missing their first nine shots from the floor. The Celtics exploded on a 24-8 run out of the half with yet another wave of incredible shot-making from the perimeter. The Timberwolves reverted to ISO ball on offense, stagnating their rhythm and feeding the Celtics run as it ballooned to a 19-point 79-60 lead.

Just when Timberwolves fans far and wide contemplated the power button on their television, rookie Rob Dillingham injected life back into the team. The 19-year-old guard was ready for his moment, pushing the pace and scoring 10 much-needed points as the Timberwolves engineered a 21-7 run to insert themselves right back into the basketball game. All while Anthony Edwards was resting on the bench.

The Celtics shooting came crashing back down to earth, and Rudy Gobert’s dominance on the glass kept hopes alive as the momentum began to turn in favor of the Wolves. With seven seconds remaining, the Timberwolves found themselves down 105-107 and a chance to win or send the game into overtime. The Timberwolves successfully found Anthony Edwards on the inbound, who immediately attacked Jaylen Brown and the entire Celtics roster collapsed to the paint. Edwards flung the ball to Jaden McDaniels in the corner, who flipped the ball to a wide-open Naz Reid for a game-winning attempt that he was not able to get off before the final buzzer. The Timberwolves fell to 8-8.

Leading Scorers:

Timberwolves – 105

• Anthony Edwards – 28pts | 9rbs | 7a | 9/21 FG
• Julius Randle – 23pts | 6rbs | 2a | 8-13 FG
• Rudy Gobert – 10pts | 20rbs
• Rob Dillingham – 14pts| 1a | 6/10 FG

Celtics – 107

• Jayson Tatum – 26pts | 8rbs | 4a | 8/21 FG
• Jaylen Brown – 29pts | 2rbs | 4a | 7/10 3PT
• Derrick White – 19pts | 9rbs | 5a | 7/12 FG

---

Key Takeaways

Rob Dillingham capitalizes on his opportunity

While the term moral victory will conjure eye rolls across the Timberwolves nation, the emergence of Rob Dillingham in this game cannot be ignored. The rookie guard was electric, scoring 14 points and dishing an assist. Dillingham pushed the tempo and displayed a veteran-like approach to his decision-making, which has been a staple of his cameo minutes this year. While the playmaking has been encouraging thus far, Rob was first and foremost a scorer in college. It was always simply a matter of time until the encouraging flashes of playmaking married up with the explosive scoring.

Dillingham was unfazed by the defending champion Celtics and made the right play time and time again. The Celtics had little luck disrupting the rookie, and Rob without hesitation took what the defense gave him.

Falling to 8-8 hurts, but the emergence of Rob Dillingham is a resounding positive for the Timberwolves moving forward.

Rudy Gobert bounces back

Rudy Gobert’s lapse in judgment against Toronto was incredibly disappointing, and it directly swung the momentum away from his team. What is most important when you face adversity is your response. Rudy Gobert responded on Sunday with a dominating performance defensively and on the boards. The 4x DPOY collected 20 rebounds and stuck to his role offensively. Frequently opening driving lanes for Edwards with imposing screens and deterring shot attempts at the rim where the Wolves dominated 44-30 in paint points. In the end, the deep ball and shot-making from Brown and Tatum propelled the Celtics.

It was Rudy’s putback dunk that stopped the 2nd half-Celtics run, shifting momentum back toward the Timberwolves. The Timberwolves have struggled to prevent opposing teams from scoring in the paint this year, and are a primary culprit of the lackluster start. This was a positive step in the right direction.

3rd Quarter Woes

The Timberwolves have a bad habit of reverting to ISO ball when the game isn’t going their way. Today, in the face of a Celtics 3rd quarter onslaught from deep, the Timberwolves compounded the Boston run with stagnant offense resulting in a 0/9 start to the 3rd quarter from the floor. While the comeback engineered by Rob Dillingham and Julius Randle made for compelling television, the Timberwolves continue to beat themselves through stagnant offense settling for contested threes.

It’s a tall ask to come back from 19 down against the Celtics on the road. The Timberwolves cannot let go of the rope if they wish to reach the heights of last season.

---

Up Next

The Timberwolves head back home to the Target Center for an NBA Cup showdown against the upstart 12-6 Houston Rockets on Tuesday 11/26. Timberwolves fans will get their first glimpse at the Wolves’ 2024 NBA Cup court design in live action. Tip-off is at 7:00 pm sharp and you can catch the game live on FanDuel Sports Network.

---

Game Highlights