Coming off of their loss to the Houston Rockets on Monday night, the Celtics got back in the win column on Wednesday night by beating the Minnesota Timberwolves 104-102 at the Target Center. However, their ability to put a game away was tested once again.

After a back-and-forth first quarter, the Celtics build up a 10 point lead in the second. That lead didn’t last long, and the C’s led by just one at halftime.

In the third quarter the Celtics found some momentum again, and their lead grew to as many as 14 points. That was trimmed to six points by the end of the third quarter, and for the final few minutes of the game it was a one-score margin. Between contested shots from Marcus Smart and a jump ball win from Grant Williams against Rudy Gobert, the C’s were able to prevent the Timberwolves from ever regaining the lead.

Stepping up big for the Celtics in this one was Jaylen Brown. In his second game in a row as the team’s leading scorer, he had 35 points on 12-of-24 shooting, including going 5-of-8 from three. With 10 rebounds, he also picked up a double-double.

Meanwhile, it was another off night for Jayson Tatum. Tatum shot 4-of-16 from the floor and was 0-of-8 from deep as his three-point woes continued. He did manage to get to the line regularly though, going 14-of-16 from the strip to finish with 22 points. IN addition, he had 12 rebounds.

Malcolm Brogdon was the Celtics’ leading scorer off the bench, with 12 points. Al Horford finished with 11, making him the only other Celtics player to finish in double figures.

With the win, the Celtics improved to 48-22 on the season. That has them 2.5 games behind the Milwaukee Bucks for first place in the Eastern Conference, and a game up on the Sixers (who also won Wednesday night) for third place.

The Celtics are back on the floor on Friday night, for their fourth game of this six-game road trip. They’ll be taking on the Portland Trail Blazers, who have lost four games in a row. Coverage of that one begins with pregame at 9:30 p.m. on 98.5 The Sports Hub and the BetMGM Sports Hub Celtics Radio Network.

Alex Barth is a writer and digital producer for 985TheSportsHub.com. Any opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of 98.5 The Sports Hub, Beasley Media Group, or any subsidiaries. Thoughts? Comments? Questions? Looking for a podcast guest? Let him know on Twitter @RealAlexBarth or via email at [email protected].