Boston Celtics: 3 keys to victory against Minnesota

Boston Celtics key to victory No. 3) Keep it under 105

In seven of the shamrock’s ten wins this month, they have held their opponents to under 105 points. This is not the end all be all for coming away with a victory, but it is certainly a benchmark for success for the Celts.

Taking it a step further, in seven of the nine February wins, Boston held opponents to under 105 points.

27 of the 30 NBA teams average more than 105 points per game. So the Celtics, in 14 of their last 19 wins have kept opponents well under their season averages. This includes games against the Jazz, Nuggets, Warriors, and 76ers.

Obviously, good things happen when you play good defense, but it is incredibly impressive to be consistently holding teams below their season average…no matter the opponent.

Leading the charge in many of these games has been Marcus Smart. He has been so effective defensively that he has gained some Defensive Player of the Year attention.

Now, will the Celtics be able to hold Minnesota 10 points under their season average? Well, that depends partly on the three keys mentioned above.

Minnesota has so much offensive firepower, and puts such little emphasis on defense, that it would not be surprising to see Boston take early control and never look back.

On the other hand, the Timberwolves score so many points on a nightly basis, will the Celtics stellar defense hold up?

With the shamrocks coming into Sunday off of three days of rest, things could not look better. The Wolves play into the Celtic’s strengths, and if Boston accomplishes these three keys, another W should follow.