The Oklahoma City Thunder defeated the Boston Celtics 118-112. It was a battle of top teams, and Oklahoma City cemented itself as a title contender. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led with 34 points. Chet Holmgren had 23 points and 15 rebounds. Jayson Tatum scored 33 points, but it was not enough. The Thunder were without Jalen Williams, Alex Caruso, and Ajay Mitchell. Kristaps Porzingis was out for the Celtics. Oklahoma City improved to 54-12, and the Boston Celtics dropped to 47-19.
A Tight First Half
In their last matchup in Oklahoma City, the Thunder defeated the Boston Celtics after a dominant second half. They got off to a strong start, taking a 9-0 lead in the first quarter. Al Horford gave the Boston offense its first signs of life by knocking down two three-pointers. Derrick White also got involved in the scoring. But the Thunder maintained their lead for most of the quarter. Despite the three-point shots from Tatum and company, they were a step behind. Oklahoma City never trailed in a quarter where the Celtics made nine three-pointers. At the end of the first quarter, the Thunder led 33-30.
The Boston Celtics took their first lead in the second quarter, but it did not last. Holmgren began to heat up, making three-pointers and midrange shots. He was also a force on the glass, grabbing key rebounds on both ends of the floor. His efforts helped the Thunder regain their lead, even with Gilgeous-Alexander on the bench. Tatum answered, and his scoring brought the Celtics back to take a brief lead. Tatum was hitting pull-up three-pointers and tough shots. But on the last play of the half, Gilgeous-Alexander made a circus bank shot to give Oklahoma City a three-point lead. At halftime, the Boston Celtics trailed 63-60.
For the Boston Celtics, it was a rare first half where they played from behind. Typically, the Celtics are the team to take a large lead and then try to hold off an opposing surge down the stretch. But on their home court, the Thunder came out ready to play. They took an early lead and rarely gave it up. Whenever the Celtics grabbed a slim one-point lead, it was gone in an instant. Tatum had 18 points in the first half and White had 16. Gilgeous-Alexander led Oklahoma City with 16 points.
The Boston Celtics Falter
The third quarter was more of the same from the Thunder. Holmgren and Lu Dort were shooting well, and Gilgeous-Alexander was playing like an MVP candidate. Again, they stayed a step ahead of the Boston Celtics and maintained their lead. A Gilgeous-Alexander three put them up by nine, and they soon took a 12-point lead. But Tatum gave the Celtics life again, scoring and assisting to close the gap. Sam Hauser made a three to make it a one-point game and Tatum converted an and-one layup to tie the game. Heading into the final quarter, the score was knotted at 88.
The fourth quarter was where the Boston Celtics lost it. In the first half, Boston was hot from three. In the third quarter, when the shooting cooled off, they attacked the paint. But in the fourth, the Celtics avoided the paint and could not make enough threes to keep up, while the Thunder attacked and got points at the free throw line. A White block and three tied the game at 95, but they could never take the lead back. Gilgeous-Alexander made more tough shots down the stretch, and Oklahoma City went on an 8-0 run. Jaylen Brown and White fouled out and the Thunder’s run grew to 15-4, sealing the game. The Thunder defeated the Boston Celtics 118-114.
Final Thoughts
The Thunder improved to 54-12 with the win. Gilgeous-Alexander had 34 points, while Holmgren had 23 points and 15 rebounds. It was their second victory over the Celtics this season in their two meetings and should make them championship favorites. They were ahead nearly the entire game, and they never lost focus. Many will point to the free throw discrepancy, where the Thunder shot 35 to Boston’s 12, but that is because the Celtics also shot 63 three-pointers.
The Boston Celtics fell to 47-19 with the loss. Tatum scored 33 points, White had 22, and Horford had 18. But it was another case of the offense drying up in the fourth quarter. Brown had an underwhelming game with just 10 points on 5-of-15 shooting and the bench struggled. Players like Payton Pritchard can score against opponents like the Trailblazers or Bulls, but against championship-contending teams, they can be liabilities on defense. What makes the loss sting is that it was not an awful game from Boston. The Thunder simply outplayed them when it mattered most.
