On the second night of a back-to-back, the Minnesota Timberwolves flew into Boston facing irregular circumstances. With the team's flight delayed the night before due to weather concerns, the Timberwolves traveled into Boston the morning of the game. In addition to this, the Wolves were shorthanded, playing without starting point guard Mike Conley and All-NBA center Rudy Gobert. Despite all of these limiting factors, the Timberwolves gave the Boston Celtics a battle to remember.
Minnesota hung tight throughout the first half and trailed by just one point after the first 24 minutes. Through this stretch, however, the Wolves did not hold a lead. That changed drastically in the second half of the game. Timberwolves star big man Karl-Anthony Towns scored on a tough finish at the rim to start the third period. From there, the Timberwolves worked hard to hold onto their lead with a firm grip despite multiple efforts from a hungry Celtics team looking to stay undefeated at home. A back and forth battled filled with drama and overtime concluded in a narrow Celtics win over the Timberwolves by a final score of 127-120.
Timberwolves rise to the occasion
Given all the extenuating circumstances, it would be easy for the Timberwolves to pack it up on Wednesday’s matchup. The final game of a road trip. Second night of a back to back. A strange travel schedule. Missing multiple starters. What many would chalk up as a scheduled loss, the Timberwolves rose to the occasion in challenging that notion.
Without Rudy Gobert and Mike Conley, other Timberwolves stepped up big time in their absences. Nickeil Alexander-Walker joined the starting lineup for the short-handed Wolves and delivered big time. Scoring 15 points, Alexander-Walker flashed some of his offensive talent Wednesday night. Drilling three triples and showcasing his ambidexterity as a passer, NAW was great in the 40 minutes he played on the night. While questions arose prior to the season about the Timberwolves depth, Nickeil Alexander-Walker has cemented himself as an essential long-term piece for Minnesota.
In addition to Alexander-Walker, two other usual bench pieces played great games. Kyle Anderson and Naz Reid combined for 36 points, 18 rebounds and eight assists as the two were instrumental in Minnesota keeping pace with the Celtics. Behind this typical bench trio, the Timberwolves should feel very good about their depth and lineup versatility, especially on nights where Gobert is unavailable or in foul trouble.
Celtics star duo is a tier above
While Anthony Edwards has taken another step forward this season and Karl-Anthony Towns is an unbelievably talented seven-footer, Boston's star duo is notably better. Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum were remarkable all night for the Celtics. Tatum ripped off 45 points behind an efficient 13-of-26 shooting night, including six made triples. The multi-time All-NBA forward showcased again why he is a Top 10 player in the entire world.
When Tatum wasn't torching Minnesota, Jaylen Brown was. JB scored 35 points of his own to go along with 11 rebounds. On an impressive 9-of-16 shooting (4-of-7 from three), Brown’s dominance gave Tatum all the help he needed as Boston’s three other starters shot just 11-of-34 combined. Brown and Tatum combined to shoot 27 free throws on the night and were instrumental in fouling out Jaden McDaniels, Minnesota’s top perimeter defender, after just 24 minutes of action.
The star wing duo has made five trips to Eastern Conference Finals in seven seasons for a reason. They are unbelievably good. Even on a night where Edwards and Towns combine for 54 points and 19 rebounds, they were completely outshined by the Celtics star combo who boasts more individual success, more playoff experience and season-over-season consistency.
An electric potential Finals matchup
With the Celtics-Timberwolves season series coming to a close, the 1-1 split record is a great testament to the parity between these two squads. Both matchups resulted in overtime and, in both cases, the home team pulled out the win. With both the Wolves and Celtics at the top of their respective conferences, games like Wednesday night make you imagine.
What would a potential Finals matchup between these two teams look like? While we’re only halfway through the regular season, it’s easy to see how great a seven-game series would be between these two franchises. Boston’s spacing, switchability, and playoff experience vs. Minnesota's size, rebounding and top-tier defense. The two teams play so differently, yet they’re extremely balanced. While unlikely, daydreaming of a Finals matchup is a fun thought exercise after an incredible regular season series.
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