6 p.m. at Boston • TD Garden ESPN, 830-AM

Boston has not been hospitable

Preview: The 31-10 Celtics have won four consecutive games and five of their past six after Wednesday's 102-88 home victory over Cleveland. They are with Kyrie Irving and without injured Gordon Hayward, both of whom were acquired in different ways last summer. … The Wolves have lost 11 consecutive games at TD Garden, last winning there 99-97 on March 6, 2005. They were swept by the Celtics in last year's season series, losing 99-93 at Target Center in November and 117-104 at Boston in March. … The Wolves beat the East Coast snowstorm into Boston after Wednesday's 98-97 loss at Brooklyn and held an optional practice Thursday.

Players to watch: Irving scored 11 points on 5-for-14 shooting (including 0-5 on threes) and had nine rebounds and six assists while playing 28 minutes during the Celtics' victory Wednesday over his former Cavaliers teammates. … Celtics rookie Jayson Tatum is first in the NBA in three-point shooting percentage at 47.1 percent and is fifth all-time among Celtics rookies for points scored through their season's first 40. The only others above him: Larry Bird, Dave Cowens, Paul Pierce and Antoine Walker. … Jimmy Butler was nominated, but Oklahoma City's Russell Westbrook was named the West's Player of the Month after he averaged a triple-double in December.

Injuries: Wolves G Jeff Teague has missed the past four games because of a Grade 1 MCL sprain and remains out indefinitely. Celtics G Hayward remains out because of a gruesome fractured ankle sustained on opening night.

JERRY ZGODA