In an extra time battle towards the league’s greatest protection, the Boston Celtics dropped their first sport of the season on Monday evening to the Minnesota Timberwolves.
The Celtics snapped a five-game successful streak to open the season.
Down the stretch in Minnesota, head coach Joe Mazzulla uncared for a timeout and allowed the Celtics to run by the offense in real-time. Jaylen Brown received an excellent search for a game-winner on the finish of the fourth quarter, however his shot hit the rim and despatched the competition to extra time.
In his first season on the helm a 12 months in the past, Mazzulla stood by this philosophy, favoring momentum as a substitute of taking an opportunity for a set look out of a timeout. After the season’s first loss for the Celtics, Mazzulla caught to his roots as soon as once more.
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“We like to save lots of our timeouts to have two underneath, which allowed for a two-for-one within the fourth quarter or extra time,” Mazzulla informed reporters after the loss, per NBC Sports activities Boston’s postgame protection. “Both means, it’s a five-point sport. We managed it properly. … I didn’t take into consideration that. You simply have to have the ability to combat to remove tendencies.”
In the end, the Celtics fell to a gifted Timberwolves squad behind a star efficiency from Anthony Edwards with 38 factors. Mazzulla appreciated the high-level contest between two high quality groups.
“I assumed it was a hell of a sport,” Mazzulla added. “It was a variety of enjoyable. It was very aggressive. Our opponents are at all times going to deliver the most effective out of us. I assumed we competed at a excessive degree.”
The Celtics get a giant Jap Convention take a look at towards a fellow 5-1 workforce within the 76ers on Wednesday evening in Philadelphia.
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