AFP, Los Angeles :
Marcus Smart and Terry Rozier combined for 32 points as Boston’s reserves keyed the Celtics’ 91-84 NBA victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday.
In a hard-fought contest that included 15 lead changes, the Eastern Conference-leading Celtics finally turned the tide late in the third quarter to post their fifth straight win.
Boston had missed 12 of their first 14 shots of the third and were down 55-48 with less than five minutes left in the period.
But they made eight of their next 11 shots, closing out the third on a 17-7 scoring run.
The Celtics withstood a 25-point, 23-rebound performance from Minnesota star Karl-Anthony Towns.
Smart’s 18 points on eight-of-13 shooting led the Celtics and Rozier added 14 off the bench as Boston’s reserves out-scored Minnesota’s 42-20.
Star guard Kyrie Irving led Boston’s starters with 16 points and also pulled down nine rebounds and eight assists.
Irving’s finger-roll layup with 1.6 seconds left in the third pushed the Celtics’ advantage to 66-62 and they wouldn’t surrender the lead in the final quarter.
“Tonight was one of those games where every last one of us from the starters to the guys coming in off the bench were ready,” Smart said.
Celtics coach Brad Stevens was pleased to see his team hang on despite their offensive struggles.
