Tatum led the way for a shorthanded Celtics team as they opened a brutal road trip with a 118-115 victory over the Timberwolves.

The technical foul Jayson Tatum picked up during the second half of Thursday night's Celtics win should not have been called, according to the NBA.

Jayson Tatum had 33 points, nine assists and eight rebounds as the Boston Celtics beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 118-115.

Jayson Tatum made a statement for the Boston Celtics on Thursday night against the Minnesota Timberwolves. On a night when the Celtics didn't have Jaylen Brown and Kristaps Porzingis for a tough road tilt,

The Celtics will start the new year with a four-game road trip, kicking off with a visit to Minnesota to take on the Timberwolves Thursday. Boston is coming off a 54-point New Year’s Eve victory against the Raptors, their second-largest margin of victory in team history.

Jayson Tatum scored 33 points, grabbed eight rebounds and dished nine assists, and the Boston Celtics held on for a 118-115 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Thursday night in Minneapolis.

Jayson Tatum had 33 points, nine assists and eight rebounds, and the Boston Celtics beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 118-115 on Thursday night. Derrick White scored 26 points for Boston, while Sam Hauser — filling in for the injured Jaylen Brown — hit five 3-pointers and scored 15 points.