Boston, MA (Sports Network) - Kevin Garnett came back from an apparent injury late in the fourth quarter to make a crucial defensive stop, lifting Boston over Minnesota, 87-86.

It was Garnett's first game against the Timberwolves since Minnesota traded him to the Celtics in a blockbuster deal prior to this season. Garnett was a former MVP and 10-time All-Star over 12 years with the Timberwolves.

But Friday, he scored 10 points and grabbed 16 rebounds, helping Boston to its fourth win in five games. Kendrick Perkins had 21 points to lead the Celtics.

With 23.2 seconds left and leading by one, Minnesota had possession and set up for the inbounds. However, Corey Brewer couldn't find anyone to pass to in time, and the violation gave Boston the ball.

On the ensuing Boston possession, Ray Allen missed an open layup, but Perkins was there for the putback to give Boston the 87-86 lead with 16.6 on the clock.

The T'Wolves then got the ball in play for the last shot, but after Al Jefferson passed the ball to Sebastian Telfair outside the top of the three- point arc, Garnett ran in and forced the steal, icing the game.

"I knew it was Sebastian so I wanted to scoot up on him and make him drive the ball," Garnett said. "I was able to count his dribbles and it went one, two, and I know he likes to crossover, so I just took a stab at it and got it, and just dove for it, and I knew time was running down."

Telfair led the way with 18 points and six assists for Minnesota, which had a two-game winning streak snapped.

For the Celtics, it was a comeback win, as they had trailed for most of the fourth quarter, falling behind a Timberwolves team with as many wins -- seven -- as Boston had losses. With 8:01 left in the game, Telfair hit a pair of free throws to put Minnesota in front, 75-69.

Things got even worse for the Celtics when, with 6:19 left, Garnett pivoted in the lane for a layup, had the ball stripped, and grabbed for his midsection. He went off the court to the locker room with an abdominal strain, and his return seemed unlikely.

"It felt like I got sniped from the rafters or something," Garnett said. "I just had a sharp pain come from my stomach and I just wanted the doctors to look at it. They looked at it and said I was fine, so I came back out."

With 2:19 on the clock, Garnett trotted back to the bench, and soon returned to the game. Minnesota led by five at that point, but Paul Pierce found his way to the foul line for a pair of free throws to trim the Celtics' deficit to 86-83 with a little more than a minute left.

Then, after a 'Wolves miss on the other end, Pierce delivered again. A series of missed shots underneath the basket led to the ball bouncing off the players' hands like a hot potato. But Pierce corralled it for a layup, drawing the Celtics within 86-85 with 23.2 left, and setting up the final sequence.

Pierce finished with 19 points, nine rebounds, and eight assists for Boston. Meanwhile, Jefferson had 15 points for Minnesota, which imploded down the stretch, going scoreless in the final two minutes.

"We're trying to learn how to win games like this, and we're putting ourselves in positions to do it so that is what we got to keep doing," Minnesota head coach Randy Wittman said. "This is a tough one to shallow, but it's one we will learn from."

For as much as it was Garnett's first meeting with the Timberwolves, it was also the first game back in Boston for a number of Minnesota players. Jefferson, Telfair, Ryan Gomes and Gerald Green were all shipped to Minnesota for Garnett in the 7-for-1 deal. Gomes finished with 13 points, and Green had nine.

They all helped Minnesota stay in contention early on, as the Timberwolves took a 30-29 lead after one quarter, and spread around the scoring in the first half. Green had eight of his points, and Jefferson nine in the first two quarters.

"We couldn't get into a rhythm on offense," Pierce said. "We turned the ball over a lot and we understood Minnesota was going to come in real emotional because of the trade."

But in a close contest, the Celtics grabbed the lead at intermission, mostly due to Perkins. He scored six straight points in the final 2:38 of the half, closing out the quarter with a layup to put Boston ahead, 50-47.