Timberwolves A Problem That Jayson Tatum and Celtics Solved in Overtime

BOSTON — Joe Mazzulla let Darko Rajakovic and The Town speak for his frustration with the officiating following the Celtics’ loss to the Pacers on Monday. Then — for the most part — Boston  through another night nearly defined by droves of foul calls, difficulty around the rim and a late deficit. The Celtics trailed by nine with 4:03 remaining in regulation.

Instead, an improbable win will go down as one of Jayson Tatum’s finest performances, scoring 20 of Boston’s final 32 points on the way to a 32-16 run that closed a 127-120 win in overtime. Minnesota’s losing streak in Boston, stretching back to 2005, continued while the Celtics set a record starting 18-0 at home. Tatum finished 11-for-19 after a 2-for-7 start, scoring 45 points with four rebounds, two assists, a steal and only one turnover.

“It’s elite,” Jrue Holiday said. “To carry the team, to put a team on your back, to make those big shots and get stops, he’s guarding (Karl Anthony-Towns) and switching onto Ant (Edwards), him and J.B., to be able to play with two guys like that is great for me.”

Kyle Anderson scored eight points midway through the fourth to propel the Wolves ahead, 104-95, on a 9-3 run capped by Nickeil Alexander-Walker’s layup set up by Edwards apparently grabbing Tatum’s arm on the jump ball. Officials called 19 fouls on Boston and a parade of Wolves free throws helped maintain small Minnesota leads early in the game, but the Celtics broke into spacing and matchups late that fouled Towns and Tatum’s primary defender Jaden McDaniels out of the game in ways the team struggled to in the past.

Mazzulla credited Al Horford’s screening as a major reason for that on a rest night for Kristaps Porzingis ahead of the back-to-back in Milwaukee on Thursday. Horford screened for Tatum on the first play out of time to free him from Edwards to attack Naz Reid. Tatum returned the favor by setting a down screen to free Horford in the opposite corner for a three, all that to carve one point off the Minnesota lead.

“Being aggressive, taking what the defense gives you, moving the ball,” Jaylen Brown said. “Down the stretch, we stayed true to our identity. When they doubled, we got them to have some indecision on some of the switches and we got some open looks.”

Brown stole the ball from Edwards and forced the fifth foul on Towns out of Minnesota’s timeout, adding the transition element to Tatum’s half court execution as they combined for 80 points in their 26th career 30-30 game. Tatum attacked McDaniels head-on with a downhill finish, recording four of Boston’s six second half finishes in the restricted area. The Celtics shot only 18 attempts inside, but converted 13 in a stark turnaround from their November loss at Minnesota where they finished 53% at the rim and a season-low 39% from the field.

The Celtics sat there again, struggling with a 39% efficiency into the third quarter, missing shots in the paint and making more rim reads. The Timberwolves proved a top defensive counter to Boston’s top-shelf offense even with Rudy Gobert out, courting enough athleticism, length and high-level perimeter defenders to bother the Celtics. Tatum eased into the game, searching for his matchups, while Brown poured in 15 first quarter points.

“They held us to 39% in the first game because our coaching staff and myself included didn’t coach them well enough, and put them in the proper positions to get the two-on-ones,” Mazzulla said. “We went into that game trying to space (Gobert) instead of trying to attack him … tonight, their defense is elite and they’re physical and they do a great job … when we were losing, it was more about we weren’t getting to our spacing, we weren’t fighting for advantages. We were forced to have to make one-on-one plays because we couldn’t recognize where the two-on-one was quick enough. Their ball pressure … length and their physicality does that.”

Chris Finch signaled for two Timberwolves to trap Tatum around a screen and he dropped off a bad pocket pass into Town’s hands that became an Edwards transition dunk that cut Boston’s halftime lead to one. When Minnesota picked up Tatum high in crunch time, Horford set the screen higher, immediately creating that two-on-one advantage. He hit a step-back three over Towns and caught him off-balance to force foul on the baseline. Tatum missed the game-tying free throw with 36 seconds left, but Derrick White grabbed the miss, Tatum reset, drew two on the ball and hit Horford, who swung the ball to Holiday open in the corner for the go-ahead three.

Edwards forced overtime with a pair of free throws, where the Celtics nearly matched their second and third quarter scoring in five minutes. Tatum left Reid in the dust around a high Horford screen and dunked to tie the game at 114. He hit a pair of free throws to force another one at 120, then he crossed up Towns, finishing to his left for the lead. Holiday stole the ball from Edwards on the following possession, and Alexander-Walker ran to the paint. Tatum pulled up from three and won the game, striking the balance Mazzulla will search for again.

“He’s Jayson Tatum and I’m me,” Mazzulla said. “What makes him great is he knows when it’s his time and when he does have to take over a game. I didn’t necessary tell him or have to do that, but we’re constantly in communication about the perspective, what pitch should we throw? Should we screen? Should we run off-ball? Should you pick-and-roll ball handle? What’s the matchup that’s going to give us the best advantage … the mode you saw him go in tonight, that’s him and I think that’s part of where we have to grow … we want to see that all the time, we shouldn’t have to wait until a tie game to see it. You’ve seen moments … he has another level he can get to and it’s like how much can we get him there? Tonight, you were able to see that.”