The Timberwolves were completely outplayed Monday night as they fell to the Boston Celtics at TD Garden.
The early theme in the first quarter of this game was the defense of both teams, sandwiched around a pair of technical fouls by Sam Mitchell and Andre Miller which gave Boston an early lead.
As the quarter progressed, it was the Wolves’ lack of offense that hampered them. Karl-Anthony Towns was able to keep the Wolves in it with 14 points in the period, but by quarters end Boston held a 34-26 lead.
Boston stayed hot throughout the second frame as they started the quarter knocking down six of their first seven shots from the field. That, combined with excellent defense on the other end only aided in the Celtics building their lead.
The Celtics shot 52 percent in the first half compared to the Wolves 43 percent, and at the midway point the Celtics were leading 60-53.
The Wolves were able to settle in a little bit on both ends in the third quarter and in the early going of the second half they were able to remain within striking distance. Kelly Olynyk was the one providing Boston with the offense to stay in front and expand their lead, however, as nobody on the Timberwolves was willing or able to stick with the big man on the perimeter.
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Heading into the fourth quarter, the Wolves were trailing 92-72 and the Celtics were able to control the game on both ends of the floor from then on out. Boston’s lead never fell below double figures, and they ended up winning 113-99.
It’s easy to say that the Celtics offense was what won them the game. Granted, that obviously played a part, but I don’t think we’re giving Boston’s defense enough credit. I said in the preview that the Celtics defense was what makes their team tick, and they showed that tonight.
They were able to contest a lot of Minnesota’s shots and made it very difficult for the Wolves to do anything on offense. The Celtics offense was primarily comprised of knocking down wide-open jumpers when the Wolves neglected to guard them.
It obviously does not help that the Wolves struggled on defense for most of the night. They gave Boston way too many open threes and the Celtics took advantage. Besides Towns and Andrew Wiggins, the Wolves should not be pleased with anything from this game.
Clip of the Night
Bonus Clip of the Night
Isaiah Thomas with the between-the-legs assist. RT to send him to the All-Star game. #NBAVOTE https://t.co/6q6i4YOoaV
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) December 22, 2015
Star of the Night
Karl-Anthony Towns – 25 points (8-14 FG, 9-9 FT), 16 rebounds, 3 blocks, 2 assists, one steal
Towns played one of his more complete games of the season on Monday night. Although the Wolves lost, it’s always exciting to see Towns dominate another contest. It should only make Wolves fans even more excited for the future…
Other Notable Lines
- Andrew Wiggins – 26 points (8-17 FG, 1-4 3P, 9-10 FT), 3 rebounds, 3 turnovers
- Gorgui Dieng – 12 points (6-12 FG), 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 blocks, one steal, 2 turnovers
- Kelly Olynyk – 19 points (7-10 FG, 3-3 3P, 2-4 FT), 5 rebounds
- Jae Crowder – 18 points (8-13 FG, 2-4 3P, 0-3 FT), 10 rebounds, 2 assists
Up Next
The Wolves will head back to Minnesota for a date with the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday. The Spurs have been masked by the shadow of the Golden State Warriors all season, but they are still one of the top teams in the NBA.
Next: Wolves Podcast: Towns v. Wiggins, Trade Talks
The impending match-up with San Antonio will be the definition of an example of youth versus experience. It should make for a fun game all around. Be sure to look for coverage of the game right here on DWW on Wednesday!