BOSTON (AP) — Bones Hyland scored 23 points, Jaden McDaniels had 19 and the Minnesota Timberwolves beat the Celtics 102-92 to snap an 18-game losing streak in Boston.
Ayo Dosunmu added 17 points, eight rebounds and six assists for Minnesota, and Rudy Gobert had 14 rebounds and nine points. The Timberwolves’ last win in Boston came in 2005.
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Boston Celtics guard Derrick White, right, dives for a loose ball in front of Minnesota Timberwolves forward Julius Randle, left, during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Sunday, March 22, 2026, in Boston. (AP Photo/Mark Stockwell)
Minnesota Timberwolves forward Jaden McDaniels, left, and Boston Celtics forward Hugo González, right, trip each other up chasing the ball during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Sunday, March 22, 2026, in Boston. (AP Photo/Mark Stockwell)
Minnesota Timberwolves guard Bones Hyland (8) dribbles the ball past Boston Celtics forward Hugo González (28) during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Sunday, March 22, 2026, in Boston. (AP Photo/Mark Stockwell)
Minnesota Timberwolves forward Julius Randle (30) defends the ball from Boston Celtics center Neemias Queta (88) during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Sunday, March 22, 2026, in Boston. (AP Photo/Mark Stockwell)
“Dang, that don't even sound right,” Hyland said, when told about 2005. “I was 5-years-old. That's crazy.”
Jaylen Brown led Boston with 29 points, Jayson Tatum overcame a slow start to score 16 points and add 11 rebounds. Derrick White had 15 points. The loss snapped the Celtics’ four-game winning streak and left them just a half-game ahead of the New York Knicks in second place in the Eastern Conference.
Timberwolves All-Star guard Anthony Edwards was sidelined for his fourth straight game because of right knee inflammation. Forward Naz Reid returned after a two-game absence with a sprained right ankle and was ineffective until scoring in eight of his 11 points during Minnesota’s game-breaking 16-0 run midway into the final quarter.
The Timberwolves trailed 81-80 before Hyland’s 3 from the right wing pushed them ahead for good with 9:05 to play. Reid had eight straight points in the run with a three-point play and 3 mixed in.
Playing his eighth game since returning from Achilles tendon surgery, Tatum was scoreless in the opening half when Boston squandered a 15-point lead and trailed 47-44 at halftime before putting up 13 points in the third quarter.
Behind Tatum’s spark, the Celtics opened the second half by scoring the first 11 points.
Both teams started cold from long range, with the Celtics missing eight of their initial nine 3s and Minnesota going 1 for 7 behind the arc.
Timberwolves: Host Houston on Wednesday.
Celtics: Play the second of a three-game homestand against Oklahoma City on Wednesday.
AP NBA: https://www.apnews.com/hub/NBA
Boston Celtics guard Derrick White, right, dives for a loose ball in front of Minnesota Timberwolves forward Julius Randle, left, during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Sunday, March 22, 2026, in Boston. (AP Photo/Mark Stockwell)
Minnesota Timberwolves forward Jaden McDaniels, left, and Boston Celtics forward Hugo González, right, trip each other up chasing the ball during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Sunday, March 22, 2026, in Boston. (AP Photo/Mark Stockwell)
Minnesota Timberwolves guard Bones Hyland (8) dribbles the ball past Boston Celtics forward Hugo González (28) during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Sunday, March 22, 2026, in Boston. (AP Photo/Mark Stockwell)
Minnesota Timberwolves forward Julius Randle (30) defends the ball from Boston Celtics center Neemias Queta (88) during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Sunday, March 22, 2026, in Boston. (AP Photo/Mark Stockwell)
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Alvaro Folgueiras told Bennett Stirtz he'd be ready for the ball, and he delivered in the clutch.
Folgueiras nailed a 3-pointer with 4.5 seconds remaining and Iowa eliminated defending national champion Florida, sending the top-seeded Gators home with a 73-72 victory on Sunday in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
Under first-year coach Ben McCollum, the Hawkeyes reached the Sweet 16 for the first time since 1999, while Florida (27-8) became the first No. 1 seed to be knocked out of this year's March Madness.
“This is really special,” Folgueiras said. “March is for the dreamers and there’s no better dreamer than us. It’s incredible. We have to keep going. We are one of the 16 best teams in the country. We’re still hungry.”
Iowa (23-12) wasted a 12-point lead in the second half but rallied in the final minutes, becoming the first No. 9 seed to beat a No. 1 since 2018, when Florida State shocked Xavier. The Hawkeyes will face No. 4 seed Nebraska in the South Region semifinals Thursday night in Houston.
“They fight, they compete, they exemplify everything we want in Iowa basketball,” said McCollum, who brought Stirtz and three other players with him from Drake.
Xaivian Lee’s driving layup put Florida ahead 71-68 with under two minutes left. Stirtz answered with a floater to cut it to 71-70 with 57 seconds remaining.
After Thomas Haugh missed a 3-pointer, Stirtz missed a running layup and Isaiah Brown grabbed the rebound with 8.9 seconds left. Brown made his second free throw.
But Iowa easily broke Florida's full-court press and Folguerias was wide open in the corner for his 3. The play was designed for Stirtz but when the defense converged on him, he tossed it to his teammate.
“We're unselfish. We like to see each other succeed,” Stirtz said.
When McCollum heard Stirtz say Folguerias asked for the ball, he asked: “You said that?”
“Irrational confidence,” McCollum said with a smile.
Florida didn't get a shot off before the buzzer, with Lee's desperate drive ending with a pass that Haugh couldn’t handle.
“A disappointing result for us tonight, but credit Iowa,” Gators coach Todd Golden said. “I thought they played well, especially in the first half. Had us on our heels a little bit, and I thought they were physically tougher than us in the first half. And it took a little bit for us to regain our footing and then they got off to a good start in the second half. ... I thought obviously on the last play, we wanted to take a foul to prevent them from getting off a 3, and they got away from us. We weren’t able to take it and they knocked it down, so credit to them for that. Just a tough way to go out.”
Coming off a 59-point victory over Prairie View A&M on Friday night, Florida played like a team that hadn't been tested. Iowa outfought the Gators on both ends.
“Five grown men vs. five grown men and we wanted it more,” Folgueiras said.
It felt like a home game for the Gators, who played in front of a sea of orange and blue at Benchmark International Arena, home of the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Fans left stunned.
“We're the only ones who believed in us and it'll probably stay that way,” Stirtz said.
Tavion Banks led Iowa with 20 points, Folgueiras had 14 and Stirtz finished with 13 on another off night when he shot just 5 of 16. Cooper Kock scored 12 points on four 3s.
Alex Condon led Florida with 21 points, Haugh had 19 and Lee added 17.
A scuffle broke out just past the midpoint of the first half with Iowa leading 19-13 when Condon and Folgueiras battled for a loose ball. Both players went to the floor holding on tightly. Folgueiras swung his arm back but didn’t follow through with a punch and the players had to be separated. Golden sprinted onto the floor to help calm things down, and both players were assessed technical fouls.
“I didn't throw a punch,” Folguerias said. “It's March Madness. Everybody wants to win.”
AP March Madness bracket: https://apnews.com/hub/ncaa-mens-bracket and coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness
Iowa forward Cooper Koch (8) celebrates a three-point shot during the second half in the second round of the NCAA college basketball tournament against Florida Sunday, March 22, 2026, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)
Florida guard Isaiah Brown (20) slam dunks over Iowa forward Cooper Koch and guard Isaia Howard during the second half in the second round of the NCAA college basketball tournament Sunday, March 22, 2026, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)
