Anthony Edwards erupted for 38 points and willed his team to a thrilling overtime victory the last time the Celtics faced him. For him and his top-seeded Minnesota Timberwolves—who led the Western Conference going into the week—it proved to be a taste of things to come.

In the end, the Timberwolves had no answer for Jayson Tatum, but two months later, the Celtics were still without a viable option for the gifted 22-year-old.

With 2:46 remaining, the Celtics were down seven points, but Tatum turned the tide by leading the team to a 9-0 rally that forced overtime against Minnesota for the second time this year. He then effectively ended the game in overtime by scoring nine points in a row. He finished the game with a three-pointer to cap off an incredible 45-point performance that helped the team win 127–120.

In one of the Celtics’ biggest victories of the year, Jaylen Brown added 35 points and 11 rebounds, and the team as a whole shot 28 for 29 from the free throw line.

Boston got off to a strong start, taking the lead early on and occasionally posing a threat to blow the game away. The Celtics led by nine points halfway through the second quarter and by ten points late in the first, but Naz Reid, who finished with 19 points and 10 rebounds off the bench and made clutch plays to help erase both of the early deficits before things got out of control, was a big reason Minnesota was able to stay in the game.

In the last minute of the first half, Edwards—the No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft—demonstrated his skill with a difficult fadeaway jumper and a subsequent dunk in transition following a steal by Karl-Anthony Towns, which helped the Celtics overcome a five-point deficit to lead 54–53 at the half.

That spurt proved to be critical since Boston’s third-quarter problems against Minnesota persisted, albeit not to the same extent as Monday’s disastrous 44-point loss to Indiana.

The Timberwolves defeated the Celtics 32–25 in the quarter, taking the lead for the first time after the game’s first possession and eventually extending it to six points. Leading the charge, Edwards made a key three-pointer to put Minnesota ahead by five points, and he then made two free throws to bring the score 85-79 entering the fourth quarter.

From there, Minnesota held off the Celtics, fending off consecutive three-pointers from Sam Hauser and massive triples from Tatum and Horford to keep a two-possession advantage. With 2:46 remaining, Nickeil Alexander-Walker’s three-pointer made it 109-102, making things even more dire. However, Tatum took control and willed the Celtics back into the game.

Tatum scored six points in a row to end regulation, including a driving layup, a three, and a free throw to close the gap to one. Derrick White grabbed the rebound on Tatum’s missed free throw to keep possession, and then the ball found its way to Jrue Holiday, who knocked down the go-ahead three to give Boston back the lead.

Edwards was fouled the other end and made both of his free throws to tie it up, and Tatum’s would-be game-winner didn’t fall at the buzzer, sending the game to overtime tied 111-111.

Once there it was back and forth some more, with Towns and Alexander-Walker each hitting threes while Brown hit four straight free throws. Alexander-Walker’s triple made it 120-118 Minnesota, but from that point on it was all Tatum, who tied the game with a pair of free throws, finished a brilliant drive and layup to give Boston the lead, and then after a Holiday steal iced things with a backbreaking three.

Tatum wrapped up his epic game with a pair of free throws, earning “MVP” chants from the crowd as he closed out the night.

Edwards finished with 29 points for Minnesota and Towns had 25. Holiday had 12 points, five rebounds and four assists and Luke Kornet had eight points and five rebounds off the bench.

Boston won’t have long to savor this one, however, as the team is set to hit the road to face the Milwaukee Bucks on the second half of their back-to-back Thursday night. That game will tip off at 7:30 p.m.