Celtics, 87-86 (final)
Reunions are great. Great, that is, until you realize there was a reason you parted ways in the first place.
For the Celtics, separating yourself from five players who helped you win just 24 games last season seemed like a good idea. Facing a Minnesota team with just seven wins seemed even better. It just wasn’t supposed to be this close.
On a night when the Timberwolves were motivated to play their best, the Celtics turned in one of their worst performances of the season but still managed to beat the Timberwolves, 87-86, tonight at the Garden.
The Celtics looked lost on offense for much of the night, and the stats supported that: 17 assists, 23 turnovers. Ray Allen and Paul Pierce combined to shoot 8-of-33 from the field.
Despite all of that, the Celtics found a way to get it done in the end.
The Celtics were up by three at halftime, but they trailed by one heading into the fourth quarter. But Boston scored just two points in the first five-plus minutes of the fourth and found themselves lucky to be trailing by only six.
Kevin Garnett injured himself on a play midway through the fourth, and he was escorted back to the locker room during a timeout at the 6:19 mark.
With KG on the bench, Minnesota maintained a three-point lead, but Garnett would check back in at the 2:19 mark.
Down 86-83, the Celtics missed several shots near the basket before Pierce converted on a lay-up to bring the Celtics within one with 23.2 seconds left.
In one of the rarest end-of-game plays you’ll ever see, Corey Brewer failed to inbound the ball in time and was called for a five-second violation, giving the Celtics a chance to take the lead.
Allen drove the lane and misfired on a floater, but Kendrick Perkins dunked it home to put the Celtics up, 87-86 with 16.6 seconds left.
On Minnesota’s last possession, the Celtics double-teamed Al Jefferson and forced him to give it up. Sebastian Telfair couldn’t handle an errant pass, and Garnett chased the ball past midcourt and knocked it away as time expired.
Telfair led the Timberwolves with 18 points. Perkins paced the Celtics with 21.
Ryan Gomes had 13 points for Minnesota. Gerald Green had eight.
The Celtics are back in action Sunday afternoon when they take on the Magic in Orlando.
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