The Boston Celtics turned in one of their worst losses of the season on Sunday night, as they suffered a 102-92 defeat at the hands of the Minnesota Timberwolves, who were playing without superstar guard Anthony Edwards. In his absence, it was Bones Hyland who stepped up and led the Timberwolves to victory.
Hyland finished the night with a team-high 23 points, while also finishing with three rebounds and assists apiece. Without Edwards, Minnesota needed someone to step up and put the ball in the basket, and as it turns out, Hyland's aggressive mindset was precisely what the team needed.
"Say less," Hyland said when asked what his response was to being told by the T-Wolves coaching staff to shoot more. "Don't worry about it, I've got y'all. Tell me to be aggressive, that's what I need to hear right there."
For the 2025-26 campaign, Hyland has primarily been used as a sparkplug scorer off the bench, but with Edwards out and more shots being up for grabs, he took full advantage of his opportunity. For the most part, Hyland has always been a solid scorer, but he's struggled to round out the edges of his game.
Against the Celtics at least, Hyland did what he needed to in order to lead his squad to victory. There's no doubt that this is a tough blow for Boston, and it will look to get back in the win column when it squares off against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday night.
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