Celtics sputter in 2nd half to Timberwolves losing 119-115



The Celtics fall 119-115 against the Timberwolves in a game that was the tale of two halves offensively and a disaster for all 48 minutes defensively. 

After missing the previous game with an ankle injury, Neemias Queta returned to the starting lineup and did not disappoint. Queta made an immediate impact, scoring 8 points and grabbing 7 rebounds in the first quarter, with 4 of them being offensive rebounds.  Jaylen Brown came out firing as well, scoring 19 points in the first to help give the Celtics a 36-32 lead heading into the second. 
 
In the second quarter, the offense continued its excellent play, scoring 33 points on 59/62 shooting splits. Sam Hauser provided a big spark, scoring 14 points on 4/7 shooting. Defensively, they were much better, allowing just 27 points on 41% shooting from the floor. In the final 6:20, they were able to create some distance with a 20-8 run to take a 69-59 lead. 

The third quarter is when the game began to slip, losing the quarter 35-23. Offensively, they struggled outside of the restricted area, going just 5-18 on such shots. Minnesota forced them into a jump-shot-heavy offense, and the Celtics played right into it, but the shots did not fall. 

For the Timberwolves, it was the opposite. Despite taking just four shots inside the restricted area, they scored 35 points because of their outside shooting, going 8/13 from three. Heading into the fourth quarter, the Timberwolves now had a 94-92 lead. 

The shooting struggles continued for the Celtics, scoring just 23 points on 33/27 shooting splits. Another factor was the free throw line, missing four free throws in a tightly contested game. They were much better defensively, holding the Wolves to just 25 points on 40% shooting from the field. 

With under three minutes to go, the Celtics went on a 12-0 run to tie the game at 110. It looked like the Celtics might make a late-game comeback, but Anthony Edwards hit a heroic last-second shot to go up 115-110 with 14 seconds left to ice the game. 

 The good

Jaylen Brown dominated, scoring 41 points on 53/45 shooting, along with 7 assists and 5 steals. His scoring at every level and contributions in other areas gave the Celtics a chance despite having a poor second half. 

Neemias Queta made his return from injury and immediately showcased his impact with 19 points and 18 rebounds, with 8 of them being offensive rebounds. This was Queta's best game as a pro and provided easy buckets all night. 

The bad 

Backcourt consistency from Payton Pritchard and Derrick White has been an issue all season long, and it bit the Celtics once again. The duo shot just 10/24 and 3/16 from three, holding back what was an otherwise good game from the rest of the offense. 

Jordan Walsh has been a nice contributor in his limited minutes this season, making hustle plays along with great defense. In this game, however, he was a net negative, scoring zero points and committing four fouls in 19 minutes.

Free throws came back to haunt the Celtics once again but in a different way. Typically, they have lost the disparity by a large amount, but that was not the case. They simply missed their free throws, shooting 9/15 from the line and 6/10 in the fourth. Missing four free throws in the fourth quarter in a game they lost by four is another example of the Celtics clutch-time struggles this season. 

The shot selection in the second half cost them the game. Taking just 9 shots in the restricted area in the second half was a huge reason for the lackluster scoring. They could not get easy buckets at the rim, and the three-pointers were not falling to help bail them out, leading to a 46-point second half. 

On defense, the rotations were slow and late all night. Because of this, the Timberwolves shot 21/48 from three and took 20 free throws. Despite having just 34 points in the paint, they still managed to score 119 points because of their outside shooting. 

Conclusion 

This was a disappointing ending given how well the first half went. A combination of poor defense and shot selection in the second half was the difference between making another statement and being just the same average team. This loss now drops them to 9th place in the East at 10-9 with their next game against the Cavaliers. 


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