The Oklahoma City Thunder defeated the Boston Celtics 105-92. This was a marquee game between two of the top teams in the Eastern and Western Conference. Many have dubbed it a finals preview, and with this win, the Thunder asserted themselves as championship favorites.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the way scoring 33 points. Jaylen Brown returned to the Celtics lineup after missing the last two games, and they entered fully healthy. The Thunder played without Alex Caruso and Ajay Mitchell. Oklahoma City won their 15th consecutive game and improved to 30-5. The Boston Celtics dropped to 26-10.
The Boston Celtics Hot Start
The Thunder have one of the best defenses in the NBA and put it on display early, but the Boston Celtics still came out firing, and both teams went back and forth. Gilgeous-Alexander showed why he’s an MVP favorite, getting 9 quick points and facilitating the offense. Oklahoma City went on an 8-0 run, building a decent lead. The defense forced turnovers, and the offense was dialed in. Boston fought back, and a few buckets from Brown put them out front. It was only the first quarter, but both teams were prepared, adjusting, and making winning plays. At the end of the first quarter, the Boston Celtics led 35-32.
The Celtics and Thunder kept battling in the second quarter. Oklahoma City was making Boston pay for late rotations, and Boston was driving inside and getting to the free throw line. When Gilgeous-Alexander went to the bench, the Boston Celtics maintained their lead. Derrick White began to roll, and the Celtics lead grew to double digits. Gilgeous-Alexander continued to score, but Brown was right there with him. Boston was dialed in, getting an alley-oop to Kristaps Porzingis on a fast break and a Jayson Tatum putback dunk. At halftime, the Boston Celtics led 65-55.
The first half was a back-and-forth affair, but the Boston Celtics held a ten-point lead. Brown was dominant, scoring 21 points on 8-of-12 shooting. Porzingis had 12 points, and Tatum and White each had 11. Gilgeous-Alexander led the Thunder with 17 points and Aaron Wiggins had 10 points off the bench. The Celtics were playing well and had an efficient gameplan. Instead of their usual three-point barrage, they attacked the basket. Still, the Thunder were a great team, and the Boston Celtics could not afford to let up.
The Thunder Storm Back
Gilgeous-Alexander continued to give the Celtics problems in the third quarter. The Thunder answered the strong Boston first half with defensive intensity and let Gilgeous-Alexander work. SGA was scoring from mid-range, from three, and attacking the basket. No matter who the Boston Celtics threw at him, he would find a way to score. The Celtics were cold from three, and Oklahoma City kept on trimming the lead. Through three quarters, the Boston Celtics led 80-76. The Celtics scored just 15 points in the quarter.
The Thunder wasted no time taking the lead in the fourth quarter. Oklahoma City began on a 7-0 run while the Boston Celtics started 0-of-6 from the field. Cason Wallace was hounding Brown and forcing turnovers that led to easy baskets. The Thunder crowd was fired up and Boston could not buy a bucket. Gilgeous-Alexander, on the other hand, could not miss, and Oklahoma City’s lead grew. He did it on defense as well, blocking a Tatum layup that led to an Isaiah Hartenstein alley-oop. The Thunder led by nine with five minutes to go.
The Celtics drove to the basket but got no foul calls. A Tatum three cut into the deficit, but a pair of Dort three-pointers were the dagger. The Thunder defense was impenetrable, and Gilgeous-Alexander would not miss. The Boston Celtics scored only 27 points in the second half. The Thunder won the game 105-92, giving the Celtics their largest loss of the season.
Final Thoughts
The Oklahoma City Thunder improved to 30-5 with the win. This extends their current win streak to 15 games. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander proved his MVP case and scored 33 points. The Thunder’s team defense was amazing in the second half, holding the Celtics to 27 points. The Boston Celtics fell to 26-10 and Tatum led the team with 26 points.
Jaylen Brown was scoreless in the second half, finishing with 21 points. If this game was an NBA Finals preview, then it is fair to call the Thunder the favorites. With Chet Holmgren waiting in the wings, it’s hard to imagine them not having a historic season.
