Three Studs, Three Duds As Shorthanded Celtics Beat Timberwolves

The Boston Celtics began 2025 with an elite performance against Anthony Edwards and the Minnesota Timberwolves on Thursday night.

Boston entered another shorthanded situation with starters Jaylen Brown (right shoulder strain) and Kristaps Porzingis (left ankle sprain) both ruled out. That marked the 15th straight game in which the Celtics didn’t have their top eight rotational players healthy, a stretch that dates back to Nov. 29.

Still, the ongoing health battle wasn’t enough to bring the Celtics, now 25-9 on the season, down at Target Center.

Here are three studs and three duds from Boston’s 118-115 win over Minnesota:

STUDS
Jayson Tatum
The Celtics knew they’d have to rely on Tatum to overcome Minnesota’s trio of Edwards, Julius Randle and Rudy Gobert.

Tatum, without his co-star, Brown, answered the leadership call. The 26-year-old scored 16 points in the third quarter before finishing the night with a game-leading 33 points. Tatum’s eight rebounds and nine assists left the five-time All-Star just shy of a triple-double, but adding three steals to the mix stamped the showing as MVP caliber.

Boston’s second-quarter defense
Minnesota appeared slated for a high-powered offensive showcase after the Timberwolves outscored the Celtics, 35-28, in the first quarter.

However, in the second quarter, Boston pulled the carpet out from underneath Minnesota. The Celtics held the Timberwolves to 16 points on 4-of-17 shooting from the field, including a 1-of-8 slump from 3-point territory. Boston tallied 34 points on the frame, drained seven threes, outrebounded Minnesota, 12-8, and helped set the tone for the second half, quickly putting the first quarter in the rearview mirror.

Derrick White
Boston needed a co-star and that’s where White came in.

The All-Star candidate came through and followed in Tatum’s footsteps, scoring 26 points on 10-of-20 shooting with two rebounds, two assists and two blocks. White’s highlight moment came in the fourth quarter when the 30-year-old drained a step-back three over Randle, giving the Celtics a 118-110 lead with 2:08 left.

White scored 13 points in the fourth quarter alone.

DUDS
Anthony Edwards
Minnesota didn’t get much from Edwards.

The two-time All-Star was slated to go head-to-head with Tatum but instead, Edwards was an offensive liability for the Timberwolves. Edwards shot 5-of-15 from the floor, missed 6-of-8 threes, scored 15 points and committed two turnovers. That lackluster performance hampered Minnesota throughout the night.

Edwards, with a chance to send the game into overtime, missed the equalizer on Minnesota’s final possession.

Minnesota’s discipline
The Timberwolves did themselves very few favors.

Minnesota’s ball protection, or lack thereof, provided the Celtics with an inadvertent boost. Boston forced the Timberwolves to commit 16 turnovers — the Celtics committed three — which generated 22 points surrendered by Minnesota. That was perhaps the biggest difference maker in giving Boston the slight edge needed to escape the nail-biting battle.

Al Horford
Horford struggled to get going offensively and couldn’t find his touch.

The 38-year-old scored nine points on 4-of-8 shooting, including 1-of-5 from three and collected five rebounds in 35 minutes. Luke Kornet and Neemias Queta, who combined to score 15 points off the bench, made up for Horford’s cold night to ensure Boston wouldn’t pay a costly price.