MINNEAPOLIS -- Cool as their unflappable head coach, Brad Stevens, the Boston Celtics never got down even as their deficit ballooned against the young and athletic Minnesota Timberwolves.When the Celtics finally got going, the Wolves tensed up once again and let another big lead get away.Isaiah Thomas scored 29 points and Boston rallied from 13 points down in the fourth quarter to beat the Timberwolves 99-93 on Monday night.Al Horford added 20 points, six rebounds and five assists for the Celtics, who trailed 81-68 after three. Boston opened the fourth on a 17-0 run to take the lead and held on down the stretch for its second straight win.I think give us credit for playing a little harder than them and making them think a little more and getting them uncomfortable, Thomas said.Karl-Anthony Towns had 27 points and 18 rebounds for the Timberwolves. Gorgui Dieng added 20 points and 10 rebounds, but Andrew Wiggins was just 5 for 18 and Minnesota scored three points in the first 9 minutes of the fourth.We laid a damn egg, said Zach LaVine, who was 4 of 12 from the field and 0 for 7 on 3-pointers.Terry Rozier added a career-high 12 points off the bench and keyed the Celtics surge in the first 6 minutes of the fourth.The Timberwolves have normally reserved their meltdowns this season for the third quarter, when they have the NBAs worst point differential. But they won that period 29-26 on Monday night, just the second time this season they have outscored their opponent in the third.Jonas Jerebko and Rozier opened the fourth with 3-pointers, and Rozier added another long ball and a steal and dunk to push the Celtics in front.Towns was the only player who scored for the Wolves in the first 11 minutes of the fourth quarter, converting a three-point play with 5:18 to go for their first bucket and hitting a 3-pointer with 2:38 remaining.Boston outscored Minnesota 31-12 in the fourth as the Timberwolves shot 5 for 25.They were definitely pressing, Celtics guard Marcus Smart said. Guys were into guys, we were making everything hard. You could definitely tell they were pressing to find a great shot.The Wolves outscored Boston 58-34 in the paint and outrebounded the Celtics 51-39, including 16-6 on the offensive glass. But Minnesota missed eight free throws.I think we have to play tougher with a lead, coach Tom Thibodeau said. And the big thing for us is to improve and learn.TIP-INSCeltics: Horford also had three blocks and reached 20 points for the first time with the Celtics. ... Boston was issued a rare delay of game warning coming out of a timeout late in the third quarter. ... Jerebko was a plus-20 in under 19 minutes.Timberwolves: Minnesota entered the game leading the NBA in 3-point shooting, but was 4 for 24. ... Towns has blocked a shot in 20 straight games. ... F Brandon Rush was active after missing the previous seven games with a sore big toe on his right foot. He played 2 minutes in the fourth quarter.TEMPERS FLAREOne of the biggest guys on the court and the smallest got into it in the third quarter when the 6-foot-11, 240-pound Dieng leveled the 5-9, 185-pound Thomas with a screen. Dieng was called for an offensive foul because he was moving while he set the screen, and Thomas took exception. The All-Star guard got up and shoved Dieng, and the two exchanged words while being separated by teammates.It was the heat of the battle, Thomas said. We talked about it after, and he loves my game, I love his, so were good.CROWDER AILINGJae Crowder missed eight games with a sprained left ankle before returning on Saturday against Detroit. He made life difficult on Wiggins, who was 0 for 5 from 3-point range. But Crowder had to leave the game in the third quarter because of soreness in that left ankle and did not return.Hopefully hell be OK, Stevens said.UP NEXTCeltics: Boston wraps up a three-game road trip in Brooklyn on Wednesday night.Timberwolves: Minnesota starts a three-game trip with a game at New Orleans on Wednesday night in which Towns will face fellow Kentucky big man Anthony Davis. Yeezy Boost 350 Saldi . -- Running backs Darren McFadden and Rashad Jennings were back at practice for the Oakland Raiders on Wednesday despite being hampered by hamstring injuries. Yeezy Boost 350 Italia . 10 VCU 85-67 on Thursday night at the Puerto Rico Tip-Off. The Seminoles (4-0) have scored at least 80 points in each of their games. http://www.yeezy350outlet.it/ .ca looks back at the stories and moments that made the year memorable. Yeezy Boost 350 Shop Online Italia . There are surprises among the Vezina candidates, but most of the others are standard top-tier performers, even if the two Hart Trophy runners-ups have never been quite as good as they have been through the first half of the season. Yeezy Boost 350 Vendita Online . - Blake Griffin had 30 points and 12 rebounds, J. If youre going to get a rash of injuries, I suppose you might as well get them early in the season and not at the end, when you need your players most. But yeesh, its as if a dark cloud has hovered over the Dallas Stars before the puck even dropped for the 2016-17 season.To wit:Captain and superstar forward Jamie Benn had offseason surgery to repair an injured core muscle. He played his first preseason game Tuesday night and is hoping to be up to speed in time for the regular season.Scoring sensation Tyler Seguin suffered a heel injury in Team Canadas first World Cup pre-tournament game Sept. 8. He started skating this week, and the Stars remain hopeful that he will return in time for the start of the season.Winger Ales Hemsky remains out with a groin injury he suffered while playing for the Czechs at the World Cup. The Stars are hoping hes back for the start of the season.Center Cody Eakin is out until early November because of a knee injury.Forward Mattias Janmark is out five or six months because of joint disorder in his knee.Forward Devin Shore (lower body) could be back around opening night.Forward Jason Dickinson had hip surgery in April and is out until December.For good measure, winger Valeri Nichushkin bolted to the KHL on a two-year deal last month.Uncle! However, if Benn and Seguin get in a full season or close to it, there is no reason the Stars cant contend for the Central Division title they won the past season. Still, it has been an inauspicious start, to be sure.Best new facesThe late August signing of Jiri Hudler to a one-year, $2 million deal might be one of best bargains of the summer, especially with Nichushkin gone to Russia. Pay attention, fantasy players, Hudler might very well start the season on a line with Benn and Seguin. The Czech veteran is just two years removed from a 76-point season in which he scored 31 goals. Playing with Benn and Seguin, he should certainly top the combined 46 points (16-30) he put up in 69 games with the Calgary Flames and Florida Panthers?last season.Veteran defenseman Dan Hamhuis was a quality unrestricted free-agent addition. Whats funny is the Stars nearly acquired him at the trade deadline last season, but the deal with the Vancouver Canucks?fell through. Now the Stars have Hamhuis. He will be an important top-four presence and a character leader in the dressing room.Biggest unknownsHow will the blue line adjust to losing Alex Goligoski, Kris Russell and Jason Demers in the offseason? Hamhuis was added, but the Stars are banking on younger defensemen Patrik Nemeth, Jamie Oleksiak and Stephen Johns to be ready to take on bigger roles this season.dddddddddddd That might mean the first half of the season is spent with these guys figuring things out. But long-term, the Stars have been preparing for this. Young star defenseman John Klingberg continues his growth as well.The biggest unknown of all, of course, remains in goal, where the veteran Finnish duo of Kari Lehtonen and Antti Niemi produced mixed results the past season. On one hand, the two combined for 50 wins en route to a Central Division title. On the other, they combined for a .906 save percentage, which isnt good enough. The lasting image of Lehtonen getting pounded by the St. Louis Blues?early in Game 7 wont soon be forgotten. Can they rebound? Is this goaltending good enough for the Stars to get to the Stanley Cup finals? I will say this: By the March trade deadline, there will be teams worried about losing a goalie they like in the June expansion draft to Las Vegas. That could present the Stars opportunities to upgrade in goal, if indeed GM Jim Nill feels that is warranted. Right now, I believe Nill thinks Lehtonen and Niemi can do the job.Sure thingsJamie Benn won the NHL scoring title in 2014-15, with 87 points (35-52) in 82 games, and followed that by finishing second to Patrick Kane last season, with 89 points (41-48) in 82 games. Benn does it all on both sides of the puck. He is a throwback in some ways, with his intimidating style, yet he is blessed with soft hands. OK, Ive got a man crush on Benn, I will admit it.Klingberg finished fifth among all NHL defensemen with 58 points (10-48) in 76 games last season, up from the 40 points (11-29) he put up in 65 games in his rookie season. Hes only 24, and hes still getting better. Hes fun to watch and keys the transition game for the Stars.PredictionThe Stars have had a tough training camp with injuries, but they will get through it and once again entertain us with some of the most up-tempo hockey in the NHL. Fans get their moneys worth watching this club play. But is the goaltending good enough to win come playoff time? I think the Stars will battle the Nashville Predators for the division title but fall short. Second in the Central. ' ' '