Celtics 101, Timberwolves 97
Jared Sullinger scored 15 of his 24 points in the fourth quarter and grabbed 11 rebounds as host Boston knocked off Minnesota.
Avery Bradley scored 19 points for the Celtics, who continue to lead the Atlantic Division despite a 12-14 record. Jordan Crawford added 15 points to help Boston post its eighth consecutive home win over the Timberwolves.
Kevin Love had 27 points and 14 rebounds for Minnesota, which dropped back below .500 at 12-13. Nikola Pekovic added 13 points and Dante Cunningham contributed 12.
The Timberwolves led 92-90 after Love’s 3-pointer with 3:47 remaining before Crawford scored the tying basket and Sullinger drained a go-ahead 3-pointer with 2:21 left. Sullinger and Crawford combined to make 6-of-8 free throws down the stretch to help the Celtics hold on.
Boston led 51-50 at halftime and extended the advantage to six on Crawford’s 3-pointer with 3:15 left in the third quarter. The lead was 74-69 entering the final stanza and the Timberwolves tied the contest at 84 on Love’s layup with 6:13 to play.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Love recorded his league-leading 22nd double-double but was just 9-of-26 from the field. … Celtics PF Kris Humphries contributed eight points and seven rebounds in 21 minutes after missing the previous two games due to a knee injury. … Timberwolves G Kevin Martin (knee) sat out after making just 5-of-24 shots over the past three games.