The Celtics have had some epic games against the Timberwolves in recent years as they’ve been two of the best teams in that span. Minnesota has made back-to-back Western Conference Finals, and with their ascending superstar, Anthony Edwards, making another leap, they figured to be primed for a breakthrough this season.
But for one reason or another, things haven’t fully clicked this season, and they come into Boston with a rather disappointing 43-28 record, which has them in sixth place in the West.Â
The main bright spot was the play of Ant-Man, but unfortunately, on Tuesday, it was announced that Edwards is dealing with knee inflammation and will be re-evaluated in 1-2 weeks. He has already missed games this week against the Suns, Jazz, and Blazers this week, and remains out on Sunday night against the Celtics.
It’s a massive bummer as hosting the T-Wolves in a Sunday night national TV matchup with playoff implications for both teams would have been a great opportunity for the Celtics to measure themselves against a true title contender. Alas, with Ant out of the lineup, that won’t be the case.
Celtics’ recent marquee matchups have been marred
Overall, the Celtics have looked great with Jayson Tatum in the lineup, but most of the marquee matchups have come with a sort of asterisk. The game against the Spurs was completely changed when Jaylen Brown was ejected in the first half, and the game in Oklahoma City saw the team take the floor without Tatum or Derrick White.
They got a mostly healthy Cavaliers team without Jarrett Allen, but that was the best test they’ve gotten. That could have changed on Sunday night, but not anymore. The Wolves still have a solid squad, but taking their offensive engine out of the mix is a massive loss.Â
They still boast a top-10 defense this season, and they’ve got guys who can step up and score, but the Cs are now nearly double-digit favorites, and this version of the Wolves simply can’t be considered a contender.
Luckily, we should finally get a true test in Boston’s next game, as the Thunder come to town on Wednesday night for one of the best showdowns of the season. These days, it’s never safe to assume anything in the NBA, but the Celtics will have two days off, and OKC has Tuesday off. Let’s all cross our fingers for a clean injury report, so we can really see how this team stacks up.