NBA: Jaylen Brown, Celtics hold off Timberwolves
FILE – Jaylen Brown #7 of the Boston Celtics looks on wearing a protective face mask during the game against the Portland Trail Blazers at TD Garden on March 08, 2023 in Boston, Massachusetts. The Celtics defeat the Trail Blazers 115-93. Maddie Meyer/Getty Images/AFP
Jaylen Brown tossed in a game-high 35 points and grabbed 10 rebounds as the Boston Celtics extended the Minnesota Timberwolves’ home losing streak to five games by posting a 104-102 victory Wednesday night.
Minnesota (35-35) trailed 101-99 after two Rudy Gobert free throws with 1:09 remaining, but Jayson Tatum extended Boston’s lead to 104-99 by making three free throws with 1.7 seconds to play. Minnesota’s Mike Conley tossed in a 3-pointer as time expired.
Tatum scored 22 points, but 14 of those came at the free throw line. Tatum was 4 of 16 from the field and missed each of his eight 3-point attempts.
Jaylen Brown drops 35. Celtics get the W in Minnesota.
35 PTS, 10 REB, 5 3PM 🔥 pic.twitter.com/RYEyhHR437
— NBA (@NBA) March 16, 2023
Anthony Edwards led the Timberwolves with 28 points and 10 rebounds. Brown and Edwards each made five 3-pointers.
Minnesota received 15-point performances from Gobert, Kyle Anderson and Naz Reid.
It was 23-23 after one quarter, and, despite shooting 15 of 46 (32.6 percent) from the floor in the first 24 minutes, the Celtics (48-22) had a 44-43 lead at halftime. Boston had a 10-point lead, 36-26, following a Brown 3-pointer with 5:59 left in the second quarter.
Edwards led all scorers in the first half with 18 points on 7-of-11 shooting.
Boston stretched its lead to 14 points when Brown made a free throw that made it a 71-57 game with 5:50 left in the third, and matched that lead when a Grant Williams layup put the Celtics up 73-59 with 4:13 remaining in the quarter.
Minnesota responded with a 12-2 run, however, and trailed 75-71 after a Reid 3-pointer with 1:04 left in the quarter. The Celtics had a 77-71 advantage entering the fourth.
It was the second game between the teams this season. The Celtics won the first matchup 121-109 on Dec. 23. Brown led the Celtics with 36 points in the win. Edwards scored a team-high 30 points for the Timberwolves.
Boston has won 26 of its last 31 games against Minnesota.
