The Timberwolves have been playing catch-up so much in the last few weeks that it was easy to forget this team once had a problem hanging on to leads when they did manage to build them.
In that time, did this problem go away for the Wolves, or was it always there, like a latent allergy waiting to attack?
The Wolves gave up a 17-point lead they had built early in the second half of Friday's game against the Celtics and forced overtime after falling behind in the fourth before ultimately losing in overtime, 145-136.
The Wolves lost control of the game late in the third quarter and early in the fourth, when they started 1 of 10 in the final 12 minutes. Jayson Tatum, who scored a career high 53 points, had done significant damage to the Wolves' lead late in the third with 17 points, including 13 of Boston's final 14.
Boston first took the lead on a Kemba Walker free throw with 8 minutes, 21 seconds remaining and led by as much as 11 before D'Angelo Russell brought the Wolves back with seven points in the final 90 seconds, including a tying 3-pointer that banked in with 8.6 left.
In overtime, Boston took a 132-127 lead on 3s from Jaylen Brown and Walker and led 138-132 after three Tatum free throws following a Karl-Anthony Towns foul. Russell and the Wolves didn't have a third life in this game.
Brown added 26 points to Tatum's career night. Towns had 30 points and 12 rebounds, Russell had 26 points and Anthony Edwards had 24.
For once at the start of the Friday's game, it was the Wolves dictating pace, getting to the basket at will and hitting instead of watching their opponents do the same.
Edwards had nine points on 4-of-5 shooting in the first quarter and the Wolves held a 26-22 lead with just over two minutes remaining in the second quarter, but closed on a 13-3 run. By that time Russell was in and fit in seamlessly with the rhythm and pace the Wolves had established earlier in the quarter.
The Wolves shot 60% in the first, the 15th time they shot 60% or better in a quarter all season, and committed just one turnover. Tatum helped keep Boston in the game with 18 first-half points while the Wolves held Walker to 1-of-5 shooting. Tatum did as he pleased, first by taking it to the basket and posting up, then expanding his game outside in the second half.
For a change the Wolves didn't completely fall apart when Towns left the floor, as has been a problem of late. That's one reason Towns ended up playing 44 minutes on the tail end of a back to back last weekend in Philadelphia. But the Wolves maintained a double digit lead throughout most of the quarter. The Celtics would get it down to 66-57 by halftime.
Minnesota's bench outscored Boston's 26-12 over the first 24 minutes. But Boston didn't need its bench when it had Tatum.
Jaden McDaniels had a rebound put-back and a three in transition to help the Wolves reach their biggest lead of the night up to that point. Boston got it down to eight with seven straight points, including five from Brown. But Tatum was about to get it cranking. Nine quick points from him cut the lead to 91-86 with 2:47 to play and Boston would get as close as two before the Wolves carried a 97-92 lead into the fourth.
Tatum was hitting all over the floor and when he wasn't, he was setting up teammates for buckets, leading to the Wolves blowing the first large lead they've had in a while. They went down swinging, but they still went down.
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The Star Tribune did not travel for this event. This article was written using the television broadcast and video interviews before and/or after the event.
