Boston Celtics’ Luka Garza filling key role as unfocused Minnesota Timberwolves visit for NBA clash

BOSTON – Nikola Vucevic will remain unavailable with a broken finger when the Boston Celtics face the visiting Minnesota Timberwolves on March 22 (March 23, Singapore time), but that does not mean Boston will not have a quality centre.

Luka Garza has given the Celtics more offence since Vucevic was injured on March 6. The 27-year-old is averaging 7.6 points in this National Basketball Association (NBA) season, but has scored at least 15 points in three of his last four games. That includes a season-high 22 in the 117-112 victory at the Memphis Grizzlies on March 20.

He also had seven rebounds, five of which came at the offensive end.

“He was great on both ends of the floor,” Boston coach Joe Mazzulla said. “He does a great job screening. They (the Grizzlies) play a hectic style. They put a ton of pressure on you from a physicality standpoint, and you have to be able to read and make plays and play through physicality. No one’s better at that than Luka.”

Vucevic, who had surgery on his ring finger on March 7, is not expected back until the first half of April. Garza will likely maintain his more significant role until then.

“Guys have always stepped up,” he said. “In my position, just try to make the little plays and help us win. So it’s definitely fun when you’re the guy doing that.

“I love being a part of this team. We play hard every single night no matter what, and I think when you do that, you put yourself in a good position.”

Jaylen Brown tossed in 30 points against Memphis, which extended Boston’s winning streak to four and a 47-23 mark. He averages 28.5 points – fifth best in the NBA.

The Timberwolves, meanwhile, were again without star man Anthony Edwards and Naz Reid in the 108-104 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers on March 20.

Edwards, who is dealing with inflammation in his right knee, ranks third in the league with his 29.5 points per game.

Minnesota (43-28) are 2-1 in the three games the 24-year-old has missed through injury. Reid has also missed the last two games with a right ankle sprain.

They allowed 68 points in the first two quarters of the defeat, but limited the Trail Blazers to 40 in the second half.

“There wasn’t defensive intensity in the first half,” Timberwolves coach Chris Finch said. “Thirty-three and 35 in the first two quarters and 40 in the last two tells the story.”

They trailed Portland by 18 at one point in the second quarter.

“Slow start... a step behind everything in the first quarter,” Minnesota centre Rudy Gobert said. “We got down 18 points and then we started playing hard. The last few games we’ve had a lot of these starts. We got to figure it out because we put ourselves in a tough position.

“We have to find a way to start the game more fired up – be mentally ready at the start of the game. It’s not physical, right? I think it’s just being mentally ready to start the game.

“We were warmed up, it’s not physical. It’s just mentally being a little sharper at the beginning of the game.” REUTERS