Kevin Garnett knows this franchise better than almost anyone alive. He spent 12 seasons building something in Minnesota, and even after all these years, he watches this current Timberwolves team with a familiar sense of recognition.
Kevin Garnett’s Wolf Pack Warning Rings True After Timberwolves Shut Down Celtics in Historic Fashion
Sunday saw a stunning 102-92 victory for the Timberwolves over the Boston Celtics at TD Garden. This win was extra special since it ended a 21-year drought, 18-game losing streak in Boston. The Wolves’ legend, Kevin Garnett, had the words to describe exactly what it looks like when this team is locked in.
Speaking with Michael Grady, Garnett drew on the franchise’s identity to explain what separates this Minnesota team when everything clicks. “They play like wild wolves,” Garnett said.
“Have you ever seen a wolf kill something? And I hate to even go here, but have you ever seen a wolf pack devour something? When they are on A1, when they on their best, that’s how they look. You don’t know where it’s coming from; your best player is playing defense just like the defensive player. Then your point guard, and next thing you know, all five are activated. Their defensive energy when they actually turn it on, yeah.”
Sunday night in Boston was precisely that kind of performance. The Celtics built a 15-point lead in the second quarter and looked comfortable until Minnesota flipped the switch. The Timberwolves outscored Boston 26-15 in the fourth quarter, turning a deficit into a decisive 16-0 run that silenced a packed TD Garden crowd of 19,156.
They did it without Anthony Edwards, who has been sidelined for four straight games with right knee inflammation, making the defensive display all the more impressive. All five players engaged, rotated, communicated, and collapsed on the Celtics exactly the way Garnett described, with nobody knowing where the pressure would come from next.
Bones Hyland led the charge offensively with 23 points off the bench, including the pivotal three-pointer from the right wing with 9:05 remaining that pushed the Wolves ahead for good.
Naz Reid, returning from a two-game absence with a sprained ankle, scored eight of his 11 points in the decisive run. When told that the last Timberwolves win in Boston was in 2005, Hyland’s reaction said everything. “Dang, that doesn’t even sound right. I was five years old. That’s crazy.”
Jaden McDaniels added 19 points, and Ayo Dosunmu, starting in Edwards’ place, contributed 17 points, eight rebounds, and six assists. Julius Randle struggled with nine points on 3-of-14 shooting, yet it didn’t matter. This was a team win in the truest sense, exactly the kind of collective defensive effort Garnett was describing.
For context, the last time Minnesota won in Boston, Garnett himself was the league’s reigning MVP, the 20-year-old LeBron James was playing his sophomore season in Cleveland, and Karl Malone had just retired. The starting five that night featured Latrell Sprewell, Trenton Hassell, Troy Hudson, and John Thomas alongside Garnett. It was a lineup from a completely different era of the NBA.
Minnesota improves to 44-28 and remains sixth in the West. With Edwards expected back soon and the team having just demonstrated what their defense looks like when fully activated, in the building of a legitimate championship contender, no less.
