It didn't come easy, but the Boston Celtics took down the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday night in their return from the All-Star break, 127-117.
All five Boston starters were in double figures as Gordon Hayward led the charge with a game-high 29 points.
Here are three instant overreactions to the C's win, which brings them to 39-16 on the season.
1. Celtics bench is a serious concern.
Verdict: Slight overreaction
Yet again, the Celtics were able to overcome an abysmal performance from their bench. Boston's second unit went a putrid 2-for-16 from the floor, furthering the narrative that the C's are doomed with their lack of bench depth.
We called the concern over the bench issues an overreaction before the All-Star break, but we've downgraded to "slight overreaction" after this latest poor showing. There clearly needs to be significant improvement from the bench going forward, but it isn't time to panic as long as the C's can continue adding tallies in the win column.
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If it starts to cost them games, then we'll do a complete 180 and start saying the concern isn't an overreaction. Until then, take a deep breath. It isn't time to worry about the bench just yet.
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2. Rust overshadowed the C's win.
Verdict: Not an overreaction
It's difficult to get excited about a Celtics win over a 16-37 Timberwolves team that was without its star player Karl-Anthony Towns. Not to mention, Minnesota entered Friday night's game having lost 14 of its last 15 games.
The C's came dangerously close to losing in this one as they were noticeably rusty on defense. A win is a win, but allowing the lowly Timberwolves to make this a competitive game up until the final minute certainly overshadows it.
3. Daniel Theis deserves more love.
Verdict: Not an overreaction
What Theis has done for the C's all season long cannot be overstated. He has stepped up to quiet the "Celtics need a big man" critics, and he took it to a new level with a career game on Friday night.
The 6-foot-8 German set career highs in both points (25) and rebounds (16) in just 28 minutes. His effort is just the latest reminder that he deserves far more credit than he gets as an unsung hero on this Celtics squad.
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