It looked like the Boston Celtics were finally going to drop a home game this season. For the majority of the contest at TD Garden—specifically the first 45 minutes—the Minnesota Timberwolves were the better team. It was a grueling battle between two of the league's elite records, but the Celtics eventually found their rhythm to survive an overtime thriller. Prior to this matchup, Boston had won 17 straight at home, while Minnesota arrived missing key pieces like Rudy Gobert and Mike Conley.
It looked for all the basket fans like the Boston Celtics’ unbeaten start to the season at home would come to an end. The Minnesota Timberwolves dominated the Celtics for the first 45 minutes of the game at TD Garden. The teams with the two best records in the NBA made the battle very hard and finally, the Celtics held their nerve to win an overtime thriller. After winning 17 straight in Boston to start the season, the Celtics faced a Minnesota team missing Mike Conley and Rudy Gobert.
With only a few minutes remaining, the Celtics seemed to be losing their grip on the game, but Jayson Tatum completely took over. He was responsible for 18 of the team's final 25 points and outpaced Minnesota 12-9 during the overtime period. Finishing with 45 points, Tatum helped Boston secure a 127-120 win, setting a new franchise record with 18 straight home victories. Remarkably, Minnesota hasn't managed a win in Boston since the 2004-05 season.
Jaylen Brown added a strong performance with 35 points and 11 boards. This game marks the fourth instance where both he and Tatum have scored 35+ points in a single outing. Tatum sealed the deal in overtime, hitting a layup with 1:04 left to put Boston up 122-120, followed by a three-pointer with 51 seconds remaining to extend the lead to five. He finally closed the door with two free throws with 12.7 seconds left on the clock.
The Timberwolves were led by Anthony Edwards, who put up 29 points. He was supported by Karl-Anthony Towns, who grabbed 13 rebounds and scored 25, and Naz Reid, who finished with a double-double of 19 points and 10 rebounds.
Reflecting on the win, Tatum admitted that the team started the game sluggishly and struggled for most of the night. He noted that they only truly played like the 'real' Celtics during the final six minutes of the fourth quarter and the overtime period. He found it almost alarming that they could play poorly for so long and still come out on top, suggesting that this resilience is what makes them a truly special team.
Jaylen Brown commented on the challenge of facing Anthony Edwards, describing him as a young superstar who plays with immense aggression. Brown noted that Edwards is eager to prove himself against the biggest names and teams to showcase his talent. He emphasized that Boston had to stay focused to prevent Edwards from dominating them the way he has other opponents, especially given their previous encounter.