POST GAME MINN - AWAY

Celtics Wrap: Boston Fends Off Timberwolves In 117-109 Road Victory

NESN by Adam London on Thu, Mar 8, 2018 at 10:33PM

Break out the broomsticks. The Boston Celtics completed a regular-season sweep of the Minnesota Timberwolves on Thursday night, earning a 117-109 victory at Target Center. The Celtics employed a well-balanced attack in the tough road win. Kyrie Irving posted a team-high 23 points, but he was just one of six Boston players to score in double figures. Al Horford (20 points, eight rebounds) and Marcus Morris (17) also had big nights, each knocking down a number of clutch baskets. With the win, the Celtics improve to 46-20, while the Timberwolves fall to 38-29. Here’s how it all went down:

STARTING FIVE PG: Kyrie Irving SG: Jaylen Brown SF: Jayson Tatum PF: Al Horford C: Aron Baynes EFFICIENCY Both teams had their shooting touch working in the first quarter, which concluded with the Celtics leading 35-28. Boston converted on 58 percents of its field-goal attempts, while Minnesota wasn’t too far behind with a 54 percent clip. The C’s demonstrated a balanced scoring attack in the opening frame, paced by Morris’ nine points off the bench. Boston’s defense subdued the Timberwolves’ star power early on, but Nemanja Bjelica was feeling it from deep, knocking down all three attempts from beyond the arc.

CELTICS EXTEND LEAD After a back-and-forth first quarter, Boston jumped all over Minnesota in the second. The C’s limited the home team to just 18 points in the quarter and took a 60-46 lead into the break. Despite the T-Wolves’ imposing size, the Celtics still managed to grab the rebounding advantage by a 25-24 margin. Boston also kept its field-goal percentage above the 50-percent threshold in the first half, while Minnesota’s mark dipped to 43 percent after a lousy second quarter. Morris remained the game’s leading scorer through two quarters with 14 points, while Irving also posted double figures with 11. Bjelica led the way for the Wolves with 13 points.

SCARY SCENE Boston took an 86-74 lead into the final quarter, but the on-court action hardly was the story of the third frame. Late in the quarter, Brown weaved his way through two Timberwolves and threw down a monster and-1 dunk. The Celtics guard failed to gain a firm grip on the rim though, resulting in a scary crash to the floor. Brown immediately went stiff after the fall and was checked on by the medical staff for several minutes. While a stretcher was brought onto the court following the apparent head injury, Brown managed to get to his feet and walk back to the locker room under his own power, and was monitored for concussion-like symptoms the remainder of the game.

RALLY KILLERS The Timberwolves brought a heap of late-game energy in the fourth quarter, but the Celtics never wavered. Although Boston grew its lead to as large as 18 in the second half, Minnesota cut the deficit to as few as six with just over nine minutes to go in the fourth. That’s as close as the T-Wolves would get, though, as the C’s hung tough down the stretch. Boston’s stars delivered when it counted, as Horford (nine points) and Irving (eight points) helped the Celtics lock down the win with stellar fourth-quarter performances.

PLAY OF THE GAME Marcus Smart climbed the ladder on this loud put-back slam:

UP NEXT The Celtics return home for a matchup with the Indiana Pacers on Sunday night. Tip-off from TD Garden is set for 7:30 p.m. ET.

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A. Sherrod Blakely @ASherrodblakely
about 14 minutes ago
The #Celtics Jaylen Brown is on the team bus, a very good sign that the extent of time he may miss if any time at all, likely won’t be extensive.

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bob


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bobheckler wrote:A. Sherrod Blakely @ASherrodblakely
about 14 minutes ago
The #Celtics Jaylen Brown is on the team bus, a very good sign that the extent of time he may miss if any time at all, likely won’t be extensive.

reply retweet like


bob


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What an amazingly positive development after it looked like he might even be paralyzed when he didn't move at all after a minute or two on the floor. I'm sure the Celtics will give him all the time he needs to fully recover as these last 16 games are pretty much meaningless. We are three games in the loss column behind a Raptor team that is playing phenomenal basketball (Toronto even has a better point differential in their last 17 games - +12.6 - than Houston does during its 17 game winning streak) so the odds of catching them for the top spot in the East are miniscule. And we are seven games ahead of the Cavs so we're virtually locked in the #2 spot. Rest and health while maintaining their competitive edge is the priority until the playoffs. Rest up Jaylen.

And by the way, for those who push the narrative that we are on a par with the Rockets, understand that Houston is 34-1 when Harden, Chris Paul and Clint Capela all play in the same game. Houston has a point differential of +8.9 for the season and Boston's is +4.3. That's a big difference in quality of play throughout the year. In Houston's current 17 game winning streak they have trailed for a TOTAL of 12 minutes (out of 204) during the fourth quarter, and maybe a third to half of those were against us in our game last Saturday. We were certainly competitive against them that night, probably should've won the game but pissed it away. Come playoff time, when everything is on the line, Houston (and also Golden State) will be a huge obstacle for anyone to beat four times. Their inevitable playoff matchup against each other to see who goes to the Finals will be epic.

The two Marcuses carried us in the first half, I thought. Another game where Smart`s stats look ugly, but his game didn`t. Morris lit it up.Happy for Jaylen. I was afraid he might have suffered spinal damage. Stingley always comes to mind for me in those situations.

Jaylen is traveling back to Boston with the team and tweeted after the game: "Appreciate everybody I'm ok.. Got a headache tho. Good team win!!"

Hi,
I'd put this game in a "Very good win" column. Everybody was trying hard and doing great.
I hope that JB's injury is just a scare and he'll be back after a game or two of rest.
As for Smart, I noticed a couple of times (the game was on TNT) how he was playing KG - barking orders where the other 4 players should be on defense and everyone followed them.
Once again, our bench showed up indeed.
I hope they'll bring this state of well oiled machine into the playoffs.

AK

This scared the devil out out of me.  Thank God he is going to be ok. That was one terrible fall.  This kid is well put together.

Great win for Boston.  Hate TNT all they wanted to talk about is Toronto and Cleveland.  Real Celtics haters.

They are not the same team without Jimmy Butler.  Understandable, but there it is.  A solid win, nevertheless.

6 Celtics in double-digits.  Of the starters only Baynes didn't hit double digits and he only played 10 minutes.  He still scored 6 on 3-6 with 4 boards, so nothing to complain about his production, he just didn't play much.

Morris was flat-out unconscious shooting.  I know he wants to start, but he is SUCH a difference maker off the bench.  He has to play defense, of course, but he has complete license to be an unrepentant gunner off the bench.  And he played 33 minutes, so it's not like he's not getting his opportunity.

Smart was 2-7 and an UN-Smart-like 5-9 from the line but he was doing Marcus Smart stuff all game.  Pure glue.  6 assists and 2 TO, he is our best point guard.

49.4% is good offense.  87 fgas is up closer to where we should be.  

Bjelica scored 30 on insane shooting, and a few on just driving left to right through the lane to the rim.  Same damn drive, we didn't learn to make him go to his left, we just kept forcing him into the middle and the help defense that wasn't there.  Still, I'd rather take a chance on him than KAT or Wiggins.  Horford and Jaylen/Brown did great jobs on those two.

Tatum's defense was weak last night, in my opinion.  He looked a little lost out there, which he usually doesn't.

20-27 from the line vs 9-13 for the Wolves.  DEFINITELY not used to that kind of frito imbalance in our favor on the road.  Jaylen's season-to-date ft% is now 63.1%, which still stinks but is improving, and he's shooting 94.4% from the line in the last 5 games.  He missed 1 vs Memphis and is 17-18.

Seems to be good news about Jaylen.  EVERYBODY at Ozumas gasped and groaned when that happened.  Could have been MUCH worse.  My first thought was that he screwed up his shoulder (his head was off the ground a bit as he lay on his side, so I assumed it wasn't his neck or back).  Scary, very scary.  In the case of the Hayward injury we could see what it was the second it happened, it was obvious.  Not so much so here, and it could have been career-ending and life-changing.  HUGE respect to the Minny fans for their support of Jaylen Brown as they watched him walk off.  HUGE respect. Good, decent people who have their priorities straight.




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bob



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Don't look know but Jaylen shot 5-5 from the line

The offensive production since coming off the all-star break has blown up.  

We are starting to see the makings of a great offensive team that is also a great defensive team.

Our bench is crushing teams.  The offense is now looking fluid throughout.

Jared Weiss @JaredWeissNBA
about 31 minutes ago
Jaylen Brown was doing well today when he came into the facility to see the doctor, according to a source. Celtics announce he has been placed in the concussion protocol.

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bob
MY NOTE:  Not surprising, especially after saying he had a headache.   Would not be surprised if he missed Sunday's game.  Next game after that is Wednesday vs Washington.



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Might as well have him skip it. Don't see us leaving the 2nd spot.

bobheckler wrote:Jared Weiss @JaredWeissNBA
about 31 minutes ago
Jaylen Brown was doing well today when he came into the facility to see the doctor, according to a source. Celtics announce he has been placed in the concussion protocol.

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bob
MY NOTE:  Not surprising, especially after saying he had a headache.   Would not be surprised if he missed Sunday's game.  Next game after that is Wednesday vs Washington.





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I hope we don’t let him play for at least 5 games, no matter how good he feels.

This kid is the franchise, no reason to rush him.

Chris Forsberg @ESPNForsberg
about 4 hours ago
Brad Stevens on Jaylen Brown: "He went through a series of tests [Friday] that were more detailed even than the ones he went through in Minnesota. Everything came back negative so he's doing better. He's sore. … Structurally — neck, back, shoulders — he's going to be fine."

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Jared Weiss @JaredWeissNBA
about 1 hour ago
Jaylen Brown has a concussion and will be out at least the next week, but he avoided a serious neck injury: "I guess at some point, he becomes day-to-day but I don't see that happening anytime in the next couple days or week even.” usat.ly/2p0nGaO

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bob


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