MINNESOTA — The Boston Celtics (25-9) went on the road and defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves (17-16) Thursday night, final score 118-115 — despite that two major starters were out of the C’s lineup.

Jaylen Brown (shoulder) and Kistaps Porzingis (ankle) were both ruled out before Thursday’s game against a hungry Minnesota team that was in the western conference finals last season. The T’Wolves started off the game hot from deep and got an early lead, once the Celtics settled down they began to get stops and turn things around. Whenever two stars are out, that means someone else has to step up and Derrick White was that player. He finished with 26 points, second on the team in scoring behind Jayson Tatum’s 33.

Also what helped the C’s was how they took care of the ball. A season-low three turnovers for the Celtics helped them prevent hiccups and allow runs to start. From the field, the shooting was nearly identical, however, Minnesota shot 22 free throws compared to the Celtics’ six.

Anthony Edwards didn’t have a great game, he finished with 15 points. However, it was Edwards down the stretch who took the what would be game-tying three-pointer that was off the mark at the buzzer. The possession before, Jayson Tatum didn’t make the basket that would’ve sealed the game. The two young stars played Olympic ball together over the summer and set up for an entertaining matchup.

Julius Randle was the guy to score points for the T’Wolves. Randle was hitting three-pointers from deep all night and finished with 27 points, eight rebounds, and seven assists. Naz Reid was second in scoring with 20 points. Jaden McDaniels had 19 points.

Win over west coast team means something

The Celtics have had their share of struggles against west coast teams this season. Losses to Golden State and the Grizzlies left a question mark on how they’d fair. Earlier in the season the C’s beat the T’Wolves in a close game too. This victory for the Celtics was reassuring, especially with the absence of two starters. The Celtics will continue their west coast trip against the Houston Rockets tomorrow night against former head coach Ime Udoka and his tough team.