The Wolves had a signature win against Boston.
The Minnesota Timberwolves went into TD Garden on Sunday night without their best player and walked out with one of their most impressive wins of the season, beating the Boston Celtics 102-92 to snap a 19-game losing streak in Boston that stretched all the way back to 2005.
Anthony Edwards has been sidelined with right knee inflammation, and Sunday marked his fourth consecutive absence.
But Minnesota has gone 3-1 in that stretch, and after this latest win, Naz Reid talked about what fueled the team's energy heading into the game.
Head coach Chris Finch held a lengthy film session before tipoff, and Reid said it set the tone for what turned into a gritty comeback on the road.
"Whatever level you're at, high school, college, NBA, you need some of those," Reid said. "You get fired up, and then you go out there and display performances like we did today."
Settling In Through the Pain
Reid was returning from a right ankle sprain that kept him out of the previous two games, and it showed early on as he went scoreless in the first half.
But he wasn't fazed by the rough start, and when asked about it postgame he kept things simple.
"I wasn't really too worried about [the slow start]," Reid said. "Just trying to settle into the game. I'm still in pain, but tough as they come. Just trying to make things happen, each and every way."
He delivered on that in the fourth quarter, going on a personal 8-0 run that pushed the Wolves ahead by 12 with about six minutes left and buried the Celtics for good.
He finished with 11 points and 7 rebounds along with a team-best +26 plus/minus, connecting on a three-point play, a deep three, and a lefty hook shot during the stretch that put the game out of reach.
On the season, Reid is averaging 13.7 points and 6.2 rebounds while shooting 46.7 percent from the floor and 37.2 percent from deep.
Hyland and Dosunmu Lead the Charge
Before Reid took over in the fourth, it was Bones Hyland and Ayo Dosunmu who kept the Wolves alive.
Hyland came off the bench and led all scorers with 23 points on 8-of-14 shooting, while Dosunmu added 17 points, 8 rebounds, 6 assists, and 2 blocks in a complete performance on both ends.
The two of them spearheaded a 33-21 second quarter that erased a 15-point deficit and gave Minnesota a halftime lead.
Dosunmu, who was asked about Finch's pregame film session, smiled and called it "very lengthy" before adding that the team understood how important it was to play at a high level even when shots weren't falling.
Jaden McDaniels also came alive late with 19 points, including 12 in a three-minute fourth-quarter burst.
What It Means Going Forward
At 44-28, the Wolves are in a virtual three-way tie with the Nuggets and Rockets for the fourth through sixth seeds in the Western Conference.
Edwards, who is averaging 29.5 points per game on 49.2 percent shooting, is expected to miss at least another week or two.
Minnesota is 8-4 without him this season, partly because ball movement picks up and guys like Hyland, Dosunmu, and Reid find more room to operate.
A pivotal home matchup against the Rockets looms on Wednesday, and the tiebreaker stakes are high.
The Wolves have already lost tiebreakers to the Los Angeles Lakers and Nuggets, so winning the season series against Houston could separate a favorable first-round matchup from the play-in tournament.