Jayson Tatum put up 33 points, along with 8 rebounds and 8 assists, in the Celtics’ loss to the Thunder at TD Garden on Wednesday night.
The Celtics’ 60th three-point attempt of the night, an airball by Derrick White, was a fitting symbol of their game—an aggressive but ultimately futile approach that fell short.
Boston must hope this wasn’t a preview of a potential NBA Finals matchup against the Oklahoma City Thunder—one where they come up short in their title defense.
Oklahoma City endured a relentless three-point barrage from Boston, which launched a franchise-record 63 attempts, and still walked away with a 118-112 win at TD Garden. Coached by Leominster native Mark Daigneault, the Thunder swept their season series against the Celtics, making this game feel like a sneak peek at a potential Finals clash in June.
A Celtics-Thunder Finals wouldn’t have the historical weight of a Celtics-Lakers rivalry, nor the appeal of a showdown between the last two champions, Boston and Denver. It wouldn’t feature Jayson Tatum versus Nikola Jokić for NBA supremacy or the Golden State Warriors trying to stop the Celtics from matching their back-to-back title feat. However, if Wednesday was any indication, Celtics-Thunder would still be the best possible Finals matchup.
Boston fans may hope they don’t face likely MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and OKC again. The Celtics remain favorites to win the title, but the Thunder have disrupted their rhythm twice this season. They are a legitimate challenge.
Some might argue Boston wasn’t at full strength, as Kristaps Porziņģis missed the game due to illness. But OKC wasn’t at full strength either, playing without All-Star wing Jalen Williams, who sat out with a hip injury.
Moreover, the Thunder convincingly beat the Celtics 105-92 on Jan. 5, when Boston had its entire rotation available. That game was Boston’s worst offensive showing of the season, scoring a season-low 92 points and shooting a miserable 19.6 percent from deep.
Now, about those threes.
This game felt like a dream scenario for Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla. Boston’s first 10 field goals were all three-pointers. They didn’t score a two-point basket until Luke Kornet tipped in a miss with 10 minutes left in the first half. By halftime, 36 of their 48 shots were from deep. They hit 15 in the first half but struggled mightily after, going just 5-for-27 in the second half.
Their success from beyond the arc turned out to be fool’s gold.
Despite Boston’s long-range assault, OKC—boasting the league’s best defensive rating—stuck to its strategy and never panicked.
“We’re in March, not June, so we’re focused on March,” said Daigneault. “But against them, you have to understand they’re going to hit tough shots. They’re going to make plays and threes.
“White was hitting tough shots early, but we didn’t overreact. We stuck to our plan. It takes maturity because guys want to win, and sometimes you try to do too much. But our team showed great poise and discipline.”
Gilgeous-Alexander, the league’s top scorer, was unstoppable Wednesday night.
Boston had no answer for him. He attacked Jaylen Brown, one of the league’s top wing defenders, with ease.
“That boy is good,” Brown admitted. “I’m a big fan of his game—shifty, crafty around the basket, knows how to use his body, draws fouls, and he’s been hitting the three too. Tough player. Definitely someone you watch and study in case we see them again.”
It’s easy to criticize Boston for attempting 63 threes out of 94 shots, especially against OKC, which has the NBA’s best three-point defense (33.5 percent). The Celtics are just 2-2 this season when attempting 60 or more threes.
But the reality is, this is modern basketball. The Celtics thrive on three-pointers—it’s their identity. This game wasn’t lost from deep. It was lost in other ways.
Brown’s 5-for-15, 10-point outing was a major factor. The Celtics allowed the Thunder to dictate the game physically. They lost control in the fourth quarter when both Tatum and Gilgeous-Alexander were off the floor. They also put OKC on the free-throw line too often—Oklahoma City attempted 35 free throws to Boston’s 12.
Before this game, Boston had won 15 of its last 18 matchups, including statement wins over the Lakers and Nuggets.
OKC provided their toughest test before the playoffs. None of Boston’s remaining 16 games feature an opponent as formidable as the Thunder, with the New York Knicks being the only other contender—and even that is generous, given their 0-7 record against the NBA’s top three teams.
This was Boston’s last major challenge before the postseason—and perhaps a Finals preview.
“We’re just fine-tuning and getting ready for the fun part,” Tatum said when asked about OKC potentially emerging as title favorites. “It should be exciting. We’re ready for the challenge, whatever that may be.”
That challenge could very well be Oklahoma City. It may not be ideal for Boston, but for basketball fans, it would be the perfect Finals.
