Celtics fail to capitalize on advantageous situation in disappointing loss

This was one of the saddest, most pathetic Celtics losses in a while. Boston took the parquet on national television (thank you, NBC, for this lovely 8 p.m. ET start) and dropped a winnable game to the Anthony Edwards-less Minnesota Timberwolves.

They shot a dreadful 35.8% from the field and got absolutely torched by Bones Hyland, who hung a loud 23 points on the Cs off the bench on a crisp 8-14 from the field.

What stung most is that this wasn’t simply a “oh, it’s not their night,” sort of loss. The Celtics actually played well for stretches in this game. They held Minny to just 14 points in the opening frame, and then looked primed to run away with a win midway through the third quarter when they ripped off an 11-0 run to start the half.

Turnovers can turn a game

One of the most prominent points of emphasis for Joe Mazzulla anytime he’s explaining what his team can improve upon is “limiting live-ball turnovers.”

Boston, in large, has done so this season. They averaged the fewest turnovers per game of any team at just 12.3 per outing. The Cs accumulated about 75% of their season average in the second quarter on Sunday, when they coughed it up nine times.

Their carelessness turned into 13 points off turnovers and allowed the T-Wolves to get themselves back into the game after scoring just 14 in the opening 12 minutes. They outscored the Celtics 33-21 in the second, and took a three-point lead into the halftime break.

So can gross, stagnant offense

A Jaylen Brown dunk gave the Celtics a 74-66 lead over Minnesota with 2:47 remaining in the third quarter. After that, they made just three field goals in the next nine minutes as the Timberwolves recaptured momentum in the early half of the fourth quarter.

Boston started with a lineup that featured neither Brown or Jayson Tatum, and you could feel it. They lacked offensive creativity and had to fire up a lot of tough shots as a result. Even once Brown checked back in, they were so out of sorts that they couldn’t make anything.

The ugliest of the possessions came with about 5:40 to play in regulation. Derrick White had just hustle for a backtap steal, which created a transition opportunity for the Cs. Payton Pritchard caught a pass in transition for what could’ve been a wide-open walk-in three and then turned the shot down. There was no clearer indication that he and his teammates were completely rattled.

Boston’s 2-14 (0-5 from three) start in the fourth essentially closed the door on any hopes of walking out with a win.

By the time Julius Randle for his *checks notes* ninth point of the evening with 1:45 to play, the Celtics had scored just nine points in the entire fourth quarter.

That'll do it, folks!!