December 31, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Celtics guard Jrue Holiday (4) asks referee Evan Scott for a call during the second half against the Toronto Raptors at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images The Boston Celtics may need to provide extra ice packs for their upcoming trip, and guard Jrue Holiday is perfectly fine with that.
“Teams are challenging us,” Holiday said. “I think the game is becoming more physical, which is a good thing. I think it benefits us that we can do that too.”
Boston opens a four-game road trip Thursday night against the Minnesota Timberwolves in Minneapolis.
The Celtics suffered a 54-point loss against the Toronto Raptors on New Year’s Eve. The win caps off an incredible 2024 calendar year for the defending NBA champions, with title aspirations once again as they turn their focus to 2025.
A late addition to the injury report could make the Celtics’ task more difficult on Thursday.
Celtics forward Jaylen Brown has been listed as unavailable for the game due to a right shoulder injury. Brown is averaging 24.4 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 4.6 assists in 28 starts this season.
Celtics forward Kristaps Porzingis was also listed as questionable due to a left ankle sprain. Porzingis, who missed three consecutive games due to injury, is averaging 18.3 points and 6.4 rebounds in 11 starts.
Minnesota also has a couple of injured players, but no players who would normally make the starting lineup. Rookie guard Rob Dillingham was sidelined for Thursday’s game with a right ankle sprain, and reserve big man Luka Garza has been sidelined for the last six games with a left ankle sprain.
Anthony Edwards leads the Timberwolves with 24.8 points per game on 44.3% shooting. Julius Randle ranks second with 19.9 points to go along with 6.9 rebounds per game.
Timberwolves coach Chris Finch is most interested in another statistic: turnover rate. He said his team was too sloppy with the ball (23 turnovers) in its most recent game, a 113-105 loss to the host Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday.
“We can control this game if we don’t turn the ball over,” Finch said. “There is no doubt about it.”
One of the players returning to Boston’s lineup is Holiday, who returned Tuesday after missing three games due to a shoulder injury. He finished the game with 14 points and made 4 of 5 attempts from beyond the arc.
Holiday joked that the shoulder injury may have been due to a fix on his 3-point shooting.
“Maybe the heat helped,” Holiday said. “Maybe it’s my shoulder.”
Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla recently called for his team to be more aggressive on defense.
Holiday said it fits his basketball personality well.
“I think it’s just about being active and using your instincts,” Holiday said. “That’s something I always like to do. Think about the game, especially on the defensive side. You can get deflections, start breaks, things like that. It’s definitely fun for me to be more active.”
This is the second and final match between the teams in the regular season. Boston won 107-105 in the first game held at home on November 24.
Brown led the Celtics with 29 points in that game. Jayson Tatum added 26 points and eight rebounds and Derrick White added 19 points and nine rebounds.
Edwards finished with 28 points, 9 rebounds, and 7 assists against Boston. Randle added 23 points and Rudy Gobert had 10 points and 20 rebounds.
–Field level media
