Celtics survive Wolves 145 – 136 in OT as Tatum pours in career-high 53 points

The Boston Celtics probably didn’t deserve the win with the lackadaisical play they deployed early in the game against the Minnesota Timberwolves, but don’t tell Jayson Tatum. The Celtics very nearly lost the game to the Timberwolves in regulation, but the St. Louis’ native’s refusal to fold and some clutch supporting play from All-Star forward Jaylen Brown and veteran guard Marcus Smart.

Tatum had a career night in Boston’s 145 – 136 overtime win against Minnesota, with the All-NBA swingman scoring a double-double of 53 points, 10 rebounds, 4 assists and a block on 16-of-25 shooting including 6-of-10 from beyond the arc and 15-of-16 attempts from the free throw line.

It was the third-most points scored by a Celtic in a regular season game, ever.

Brown also had an efficient night from the floor, shooting 9-of-15 overall and 4-of-9 from deep to score 26 points, 5 rebounds and a pair of steals and blocks each. Smart added 24 points, 6 rebounds and 8 assists, point guard Kemba Walker 17 points, 7 rebounds and 9 assists, and big man Tristan Thompson chipped in 7 points and 7 boards off of the bench. https://twitter.com/TheCelticsWire/status/1380705757033816067?s=20

While ball movement was largely absent early in the contest, the Celtics picked it up in the second half to end up with a near season-high 32 assists on the night (Boston registered 35 against the Detroit Pistons on Jan. 3), and shot an impressive 94.1% from the stripe as a team. While it began as one of the team's uglier efforts, it was an important win in a trend that has seen the Celtics dig in and find ways to win that they can build off of moving forward. Boston now faces a spate of tough games against West Coast teams on the road, starting with the Denver Nuggets on Sunday afternoon. This post originally appeared on Celtics Wire. Follow us on Facebook! [lawrence-related id=48842,48835,48795,48702] [listicle id=48799]

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