The Celtics embarked on a tough four-game road trip starting with the Timberwolves on Thursday. Then, to make things a little more difficult, two starters in Jaylen Brown and Kristaps Porzingis were unavailable for the game in Minnesota. So, the responsibility fell on the remaining cast of C’s as they looked to start the road trip strong.
Jayson Tatum made sure of that as he had a huge night in the Celtics’ 118-115 victory over the Wolves at the Target Center. Not only that: he actively sought out the matchup against Minnesota star Anthony Edwards, who has developed into one of the bright stars in the league.
“Obviously, he made some great shots,” Joe Mazzulla told reporters about Tatum. “But I just thought his intentionality on the offensive end was really good. He started the night out on Edwards, which is something that he wanted. I thought he took on the challenge of that. He was great tonight.”
Tatum finished with 33 points, eight rebounds, nine assists and three steals in one of his best games of the season. He took over for multiple stretches as he rose to the occasion for the shorthanded C’s. Derrick White added another 26 points as his shot-making down the stretch was clutch. The C’s got more help elsewhere, including solid play from Sam Hauser and Neemias Queta.
Edwards, on the other hand, struggled to make a consistent impact. The Wolves star put up 15 points, four rebounds and six assists, but it was on 5-for-16 shooting, including a 2-for-9 mark on 3-pointers. The C’s consistently double-teamed him throughout the night, forcing the ball out of his hands.
The Wolves shot a sparkling 21-for-39 (53.8%) on 3s, so they knocked down open shots throughout the night. Julius Randle had 27 points, eight rebounds and seven assists, plus the Wolves got a 19-point night from Jaden McDaniels. But the C’s were better Thursday.
The Celtics will hit more road blocks coming up as they still have three more games on this trip. They have a quick turnaround as they face ex-C’s coach Ime Udoka and the Rockets at 8 p.m. Friday in Houston. The Celtics will hope Brown and Porzingis can play that game after both sitting Thursday.
Regardless, the Celtics overcame a pesky Wolves team looking to get back on track. The C’s led by as many as 14 points in the second half, but the Wolves battled to make it a close game. But down the stretch, it was often either Tatum or White stepping up to make the right play on the way to win.
“We just had a talk this morning knowing we had a few guys out, so our lineup was gonna be different,” Tatum said. “So just another way to insert yourself into the game and be focused and locked in. If you’re guarding the other team’s best player, even if you’re not in rhythm, you’ve got to be locked in defensively. So just another way to get yourself going.”
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