Celtics

“He wanted to protect him, so he took on that defensive challenge. That’s the key for us to get where we want to go.”

Jayson Tatum personally requested the opportunity to guard Anthony Edwards before the Celtics’ 118-115 victory over the Timberwolves on Thursday, coach Joe Mazzulla said.

Edwards showed a below-average performance for his standards. The Celtics forced him to go left-handed and occasionally double-teamed him.

It seemed to throw the Minnesota star off his game. He scored 15 points on 5-for-16 shooting and missed a potentially game-winning shot in the closing seconds.

Meanwhile, Tatum performed brilliantly on offense, scoring a game-high 33 points to go with nine assists and eight rebounds with just two turnovers.

Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla praised Tatum not only for his shooting ability, but also for his willingness to accept the challenge of guarding Edwards.

“He did great tonight. His ability to execute, really just fight for the shots he wanted,” Mzzulla said. “Obviously he took some great shots. I just really liked his intentionality on offense. He started the evening doing what he wanted with Edwards. I thought he had accepted the challenge. So, he was good tonight.”

Asking for a specific defensive assignment isn’t something Tatum always does, Mazzulla said.

But with Jaylen Brown and Kristaps Porzingis out and the Celtics needing a bounce back after losing four of their last seven games, Tatum wanted a chance to protect Minnesota’s primary offensive option.

“The guys do it differently, but today it was him,” Mazzulla said. “He wanted to protect him, so he took on that defensive challenge. This is the key for us to get where we want to go. If he takes on that, it will be a credit to him.”

NBC Sports Boston analyst Eddie House said during Celtics Postgame Live that Tatum’s attitude set the tone for the win, which cemented the season’s victory over the Timberwolves.

Teams tend to run after their stars, and Tatum’s initiative on defense was impressive, he said.

“With Jaylen Brown out, your superstar has stepped up to the plate,” House said. “He says, ‘I want this challenge.’ I need that. I’m not dodging the smoke, I want that smoke, and what that does is it energizes your team because you see your guy going out there and not just wanting to get paper on one end, get money and score points.

“No, I also want to protect the best player they have so that will get your team going,” he added. “It gives you a little extra push, a little more energy, to go out there and do your job a little better than maybe you even thought when you set it up.”

The Celtics struggled throughout the month of December with consistent effort on defense. They started the new year with a strong game against a tough opponent.

“Good team win, great environment. It was going to be a close game,” Mazzulla said. “I think we did a great job with the game plan and trying to keep Edwards under control. The role players made a few shots, but I thought we did it…We have to clean up a few things, but I thought it was a great team win. Great attention to detail on both sides.”

Khari A. Thompson

Sports reporter

Khari Thompson covers professional sports for Boston.com. Before joining the team in 2022, Khari covered college football for The Clarion Ledger in Jackson, Miss.