Timberwolves Triumph Over Celtics, Jokic Nears Triple-Double Record
The Minnesota Timberwolves secured a victory on the road against the Boston Celtics on Sunday, winning 102-92. Meanwhile, Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic continues to approach the NBA record for career triple-doubles.
Celtics’ Winning Streak Ends in Boston
The Boston Celtics, currently second in the Eastern Conference, saw their four-game winning streak arrive to an end with a home loss against Minnesota. This marks the Timberwolves’ first win in Boston since 2005.
Despite a 15-point lead established by the Celtics duo of Jaylen Brown (29 points) and Jayson Tatum (16 points) early in the second quarter, the Timberwolves rallied even without the presence of Anthony Edwards, who has been sidelined for a week due to inflammation in his right knee.
A 16-0 run by the Timberwolves in the final stretch of the game silenced the home crowd of 19,156 at the TD Garden, who had witnessed their team win 18 consecutive games against Minnesota.
Bones Hyland led Minnesota off the bench with 23 points, while Jaden McDaniels contributed 19 and Ayo Dosunmu, recently acquired from the Chicago Bulls, added 17 points. Minnesota now holds a record of 44 wins and 28 losses, maintaining its sixth-place position in the Western Conference.
Jokic’s Triple-Double Count Rises
In the Western Conference, the Denver Nuggets defeated the Portland Trail Blazers 128-112, with Nikola Jokic recording 22 points, 14 rebounds and 14 assists, completing his 192nd career triple-double in the NBA. Jokic has previously won a championship and three Most Valuable Player (MVP) awards.
The 31-year-old Serbian center is steadily closing in on the NBA record of 209 triple-doubles held by Russell Westbrook, his former teammate in Denver and current player for the Sacramento Kings.
Jamal Murray added another 22 points for the Nuggets, improving their record to 44-28 and retaining their fifth-place standing in the West. The victory was also significant as Denver was able to feature its entire starting lineup, including Cam Johnson, Aaron Gordon, and Christian Braun, and welcomed back Peyton Watson from the bench.
“We know we have a excellent team and it’s been a while since we’ve had a full team,” said Watson, who had been out since early February. “I think when we’re healthy, no one can beat us.”
Other Notable Games
The New York Knicks achieved a comfortable 145-113 victory over the Washington Wizards, with Karl-Anthony Towns contributing 26 points and 16 rebounds. With their sixth consecutive win, the Knicks are now just one victory away from surpassing the Celtics for second place in the East.
The Phoenix Suns defeated the Toronto Raptors 120-98, led by Devin Booker with 25 points and Jalen Green with 20 points.