As Mike Tirico quipped on the NBC broadcast: “It’s been a minute.”
More precisely, it had been exactly 7,685 days since the Minnesota Timberwolves last left TD Garden with a victory. That long, agonizing drought—spanning nearly 21 years—came crashing to an end on Sunday night, March 22, 2026, when the Timberwolves (44-28) delivered a gritty, defense-first statement, toppling the Boston Celtics (47-24) by a final score of 102-92.
The last time Minnesota tasted triumph on Boston’s home floor was March 6, 2005. In that nail-biter, Latrell Sprewell drilled a clutch runner with just 0.9 seconds remaining to secure a 99-97 win. That night marked Kevin McHale’s debut as Timberwolves head coach—a Celtics legend stepping onto the enemy sideline. Kevin Garnett, still years away from his eventual championship in green, stuffed the stat sheet with 21 points, 13 rebounds, and 9 assists. Sam Cassell, another future Celtic in both playing and coaching roles, was a key piece of that Minnesota squad.
That victory belonged to a bygone era of NBA basketball. Fast-forward to 2026, and the names have changed, but the echoes of history rang loud and clear.
Even without star Anthony Edwards, the Timberwolves unleashed their trademark formula: suffocating defense, relentless on-ball pressure, and opportunistic shot-making to punish every mistake. For the second consecutive game, Boston faltered against that intensity.
The Celtics flashed control at times—Jaylen Brown ignited the first quarter, while Jayson Tatum fueled a third-quarter surge. Yet those moments never coalesced into sustained dominance. Turnovers mounted, possessions bogged down, and rhythm evaporated.
When the fourth quarter arrived and the game hung in the balance, Minnesota pounced with a decisive run. Boston had no response. The visitors seized control and never looked back, turning a frustrating night for the hosts into a historic exorcism.
This defeat doesn’t dismantle what Boston has constructed—a 47-win powerhouse with legitimate title hopes. But it does expose lingering vulnerabilities: the inability to consistently handle elite physicality and pressure when the stakes rise.
The names on the roster may have evolved since 2005, but the core truth endures: Winning at TD Garden is never guaranteed. And after 7,685 days of torment, the NBA’s strangest hex finally lifted—proving that some curses, no matter how long they linger, can still be shattered in spectacular fashion.