Celtics Star Calls Out Thunder For Not Playing Clean During Finals Run

Mar 12, 2025; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; The Boston Celtics and Oklahoma City Thunder tip-off to start the game at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images | David Butler II-Imagn Images

The Boston Celtics will look very different in 2025-26 than they have over the past two seasons. Former fourth-string center Neemias Queta could have a decent shot at a starting center role, while fresh trade acquisition Anfernee Simons and new free agent additions Chris Boucher, Luka Garza, and Josh Minott all look to assume potentially major rotation minutes.

Celtics point guard Payton Pritchard, who was named Sixth Man of the Year for his efforts last season, may not even be eligible for that honor this year. With Jrue Holiday now on the Portland Trail Blazers, the 6-foot-1 University Oregon product may earn a starting nod in his stead. He and Simons appear likely to compete for that gig in training camp.

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Boston's entire approach to the game may undergo some drastic changes this year, too, beyond the personnel shuffle. And that's in part because of who unseated the Celtics as league champions this past June.

Zack Cox of The Boston Herald writes that Pritchard has called out the Oklahoma City Thunder for their aggressive defensive approach during this spring's playoffs, en route to their first championship since 1979, when they were still the Seattle SuperSonics.

Payton Pritchard says the Thunder got away with a lot of fouls in the playoffs

“When you see OKC, who won the championship, they get away with a lot of hands, fouls, physicality, stuff like that. The NBA, in the playoffs, is allowing a lot more physicality.”

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— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) October 4, 2025

“When you see OKC and them win the championship, they got away with a lot of hands, fouls, a lot of physicality. Stuff like that,” he said. “The NBA, I feel like, in the playoffs is allowing a lot more physicality now. But you’ve got to learn how to play through it and be more physical. We’re emphasizing it. It’s been good.”

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Now, Boston is channeling that approach, with a younger, less talented roster than the championship core that led the team to a 125-39 regular season record across the last two seasons and the 2024 title.

“It’s been very physical,” Pritchard said of the club's recent training camp practices over the past week. “It’s definitely been a war out there. I am tired, but it’s good to push the body to these limits to get ready for the season. Definitely pushing ourselves.”

Major Roster Churn in Boston

Gone are former All-Defensive Team standouts Jrue Holiday and Al Horford, plus two-way "unicorn" starting center Kristaps Porzingis and third-string big man Luke Kornet. Likely absent for most or maybe all of 2025-26 is Boston's best player, six-time All-Star power forward Jayson Tatum. With those departures goes the two-way versatility that defined this mini-era for the Celtics.

It's a new era at TD Garden. And Boston might start to look a lot like Oklahoma City, if approach if not necessarily in results right away.

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