Gordon Hayward enjoyed his best game of the season, scoring 30 points while also adding nine rebounds and eight assists to lead the visiting Boston Celtics to a 118-109 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves in Minneapolis on Saturday night.

The Celtics extended their modest win streak to three games, getting the last two on consecutive nights.

The T-wolves saw their season-best win streak snapped at four games.

In the first quarter, the Celtics crawled back from an early seven-point deficit to lead 29-26 through the end of the opening frame on the strength of strong ball movement.

The second quarter saw the Celtics expand that lead to 57-48 by halftime, built largely with nine 3-pointers to the T-wolves' four triples. Hayward (14 points) and Kyrie Irving (12) were already in double figures for the Celtics at the break, while Derrick Rose responded with 12 for Minnesota.

A high-scoring third quarter saw the Timberwolves shave only two points from the halftime deficit. Minnesota relied heavily on an inside-out game between Karl-Anthony Towns and Andrew Wiggins.

Trailing 89-81 early in the final frame, the T-wolves ripped off an 8-0 run to tie the game with less than nine minutes remaining before Boston responded with its own 9-0 run. The Celtics never looked back.

The Celtics also got big performances from Jayson Tatum, who scored 19 points and added nine rebounds. Irving also chipped in with 21 points and nine assists.

Jaylen Brown missed his third straight game for the Celtics because of a nagging back injury, resulting in Marcus Smart's third start of the season.

The Timberwolves were led by Towns, who posted 20 points and nine rebounds. Robert Covington added 17 points, 10 rebounds and four steals in a spirited effort for the losing side. Rose scored 26 off the bench.

The Celtics don't play again until they host the New York Knicks on Thursday. Minnesota's next contest is the third game of their current four-game homestand against the Houston Rockets on Monday.

--Field Level Media