The Celtics fell to the Minnesota Timberwolves 102-92 at TD Garden after winning four in a row coming into Sunday night and also got an 18-game home win streak over the T-Wolves snapped as well.
Jaylen Brown scored 29 points but on 9-of-26 shooting, to go along with seven rebounds, while Jayson Tatum in his eighth game back from a torn Achilles, also struggled on 6-of-16 from the field to register 16 points and 11 rebounds.
"They were physical. They played fast," Brown told reporters. "They definitely upped the level of intensity, and we didn't necessarily meet the challenge. So that's what the story of the game was. We got to be better. We got to be ready for that, and that’s uncharacteristic of us. We're usually the harder-playing team, and tonight Minnesota was."
Derrick White went 6-of-15 for 15 points and Payton Pritchard wasn't much better with 10 points off the bench on 4-of-11 from the floor for the Celtics -- who were without Nikola Vučević (broken finger) for the eighth-straight contest and only have a half-game lead over the New York Knicks for second place in the East at 47-24.
Bones Hyland scored 23 points to lead the way for Minnesota, who were without Anthony Edwards (knee), while Jaden McDaniels added 19 points and Ayo Dosunmu had 17 points, eight rebounds and six assists for the team's first win in Boston since 2005 and the days of Kevin Garnett still with the Timberwolves.
"Dang, that don't even sound right," Hyland said, when told of the losing streak. "I was 5-years-old. That's crazy."
The Celtics held Minnesota to 6-of-23 from the field for only 14 total points in the opening quarter, before going cold in the second period and being outscored 33-21, capped off by a Hyland buzzer-beating 3-pointer to trail 47-44 at the break -- as Tatum went scoreless in the first half.
Boston bounced back in the third to take a nine-point advantage, but the visiting team quickly erased the deficit and were down by one (77-76) heading into the final frame.
The Timberwolves went on a 16-0 run and the C's never recovered, going 5-of-27 from the field, including 0-of-7 from long range in the fourth quarter. Minnesota finished the game hitting 9-of-17 from floor and 3-of-6 from deep to outscore the home team 26-15.
"I thought they were more physical, and there's a difference there," Mazzulla said on the loss. "You look at the entire game, to me, it comes down to we go up nine in the third quarter and they cut it to one, and then the fourth quarter. I thought in spots of the game they were more physical, but both teams play hard."
The Celtics will have a couple of days off before hosting the Oklahoma City Thunder (56-15) Wednesday night.
Game Notes:
Boston shot 36% from the field and 9-of-33 (27%) from behind the arc, while the Timberwolves hit 43% of their attempts and 12-of-33 (36%) from 3. The Celtics were out-rebounded 56-53, but won the points in the paint battle 50-46. The C's only dished out 17 assists on 34 baskets and 11 turnovers to Minnesota's 24 dimes on 39 made shots and turned the ball over 14 times.
Joel Pavón
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