The Boston Celtics will try to extend their winning streak to five on Sunday when they take on the visiting Minnesota Timberwolves.
The reigning NBA champions are coming off one of their worst offensive performances of the season, but still beat the host Washington Wizards 108-96 on Friday in an NBA Cup game.
Boston, which improved to 8-1 on the road, shot 42.4 percent from the floor (36 of 85), including 23.9 percent (11 of 46) from the three-point line. Jayson Tatum, Boston’s leading scorer (29.1 points per game), was 0 of 10 from the three-point line.
Jaylen Brown scored a game-high 31 points to go along with 11 rebounds and five assists for the Celtics, who trailed by two at halftime before outscoring the Wizards 59-45 in the second half.
“We came out a little slow,” Brown said. “We lacked some energy, but I think we got it back in the third and fourth. Enough to get over the hump and win the game, but it was a slow night for us. We settled for a lot of shots. We have to get better.”
The 108 points matched Boston’s lowest performance of the season and came against a Wizards team that made it to last Friday in the NBA in several defensive categories. Boston, which ranks second in the NBA with 120.7 points per game, also scored 108 in a four-point overtime win over Brooklyn on Nov. 8.
“It’s good to win a game when you’re not playing at your highest level on offense, and we had three 25-point quarters on defense,” Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla said. “You have to win in different ways, and winning in the final stretch and doing it with defense is good.”
After Mazzulla received a technical foul in the third, the Celtics scored 12 of the next 18 points and took a 75-72 lead into the fourth quarter.
“(Technology) changed the energy in the stadium,” Mazzulla said. “Did you feel that?” It wasn’t really about energizing the team. I think it was just about manipulating the environment. “I thought it was what the environment needed at that time.”
Minnesota got a 26-point performance from Anthony Edwards and 23 points from Julius Randle, but fell 110-105 to Toronto on Thursday. The Timberwolves fell to 3-5 on the road.
Jaden McDaniels added 22 points for Minnesota, which got 13 points and 11 rebounds from Rudy Gobert.
The Timberwolves have lost four of their last six games. Randle called Thursday’s loss the lowest point for the Timberwolves this season.
“I know we’re going to turn things around,” Randle said. “I have faith in everyone in this locker room and I believe that we are going to turn the situation around, but at this moment we have to look in the mirror and decide what type of team we want to be consistently. We have had great games, others not so much. Me included. I have to look in the mirror and tell myself that I have to be better.”
“We have to be professional and understand that it’s about us as a team, that every night we go out and play developing the right habits and doing the right things.”
Edwards averages 27.9 points per game as Minnesota’s leading scorer. The Timberwolves are averaging 113.3 points per game and allowing an average of 111.0 points per game.
The Celtics enter Sunday with a 5-2 record at home.
–Field level media
