Inside The Celtics

The Top 5 Plays from the Celtics-Timberwolves Game

The top five plays from Monday's matchup between the Boston Celtics and Minnesota Timberwolves features Robert Williams going full-extension to finish an alley-oop, back-to-back blocks by Romeo Langford, Jaylen Brown showing off his handles, and Jaylen Nowell's posterizing jam.

Bobby Krivitsky

Nick Wosika-USA TODAY Sports

The top five plays from Monday's matchup between the Boston Celtics and Minnesota Timberwolves features Robert Williams going full-extension to finish an alley-oop, back-to-back blocks by Romeo Langford, Jaylen Brown showing off his handles, and Jaylen Nowell's posterizing jam.

Robert Williams Goes Full-Extension to Finish Alley-Oop on Opening Play

On the first play of the game, the Celtics play exactly how their fans want them to with consistency. After working the ball from one side of the court to the other, Payton Pritchard comes off a high-ball screen from Al Horford, holds the attention of the latter's defender, Jaden McDaniels, and then quickly drops a bounce pass right in Horford's hip pocket. That gives Boston a 2-1 against Nathan Knight, who steps towards Horford, prompting the veteran big man to throw the lob to Robert Williams.

Romeo Langford Earns a Tommy Point

First, Romeo Langford registers a chase-down block, denying Malik Beasley's layup. Then, he gets back in the play and swats Josh Okogie's follow-up attempt. Terrific effort.

Josh Okogie Gives Langford a Taste of His Own Medicine

Speaking of great efforts, this time, Langford finds himself on the receiving end of a rejection that stems from just that. As the third-year wing drives to the hoop, he doesn't see that Josh Okogie is across from him, sprinting down the opposite side of the floor. Langford beats Okogie to the rim, but the latter demonstrates some impressive hops off two feet, elevating for a block that leads to two points at the other end.

Jaylen Brown Shakes Jaden McDaniels

Jaylen Brown builds momentum as he heads down the court. As he approaches the three-point line, Jaden McDaniels isn't sure how he wants to defend him. First, he steps forward, then retreats; Brown gives him a quick in-and-out dribble that's tight to the body, and it gets McDaniels to open his hips towards the middle of the floor. Brown's coming so fast that Malik Beasley, who's not known for his defense, especially not when it comes to protecting the rim, doesn't provide resistance, making the finish easy on Boston's All-Star wing.

Jaylen Nowell's Posterizing Slam

In the second half, the Celtics' defense was mostly non-existent. The Timberwolves took advantage of that, scoring 63 points in the final two quarters en route to a 108-103 win, but none of their second-half possessions produced a highlight quite like this one. Langford doesn't get over to Jaylen Nowell with much urgency, and as a result, he's not in front of Nowell when the ball arrives. Off the catch, Nowell bolts to the rim, and while Jabari Parker makes a commendable effort to turn him back once he gets there, Nowell's built too much momentum, and he puts Parker on a poster.

Published
Bobby Krivitsky
BOBBY KRIVITSKY

Bobby Krivitsky's experiences include covering the NBA as a credentialed reporter for Basketball Insiders. He's also a national sports talk host for SportsMap Radio, a network airing on 96 radio stations throughout the country. Additionally, he was a major-market host, update anchor, and producer for IMG Audio, and he worked for Bleacher Report as an NFL and NBA columnist.

Home/Top Stories