Brian Fluharty-USA TODAY Sports
Here's What Stood Out in Celtics' Win vs. Thunder: Boston Overcomes Offensive Struggles, Rallies for Seventh-Straight Victory
The Celtics' 126-122 win over the Thunder was a testament to their offensive firepower and resolve.
Jayson Tatum, in particular, seemed fatigued from the wear-and-tear of the regular season schedule and logging 41 minutes in Saturday's victory over the Pistons.
Still, Tatum finished with 27 points on 23 shots and grabbed ten rebounds in Monday's win.
And on a night where Luguentz Dort and Jalen Williams did well defensively against Tatum and Jaylen Brown, Boston shot 10/37 (27 percent) from beyond the arc, and the Celtics struggled to find reliable sources of offense, they managed to generate 64 points in the paint and went 24/29 at the free-throw line.
Now, for a deep dive into what stood out from Boston's league-leading seventh-straight victory.
Defense Playing Catch-Up to Offense After Both Teams Eclipse 30 Points in First Frame
The Celtics quickly built a 6-2 early lead, first capitalizing on a back screen from Jayson Tatum freeing Al Horford for a dunk.
Then came Marcus Smart connecting with Horford on an alley-oop when Josh Giddey stepped up to stop Smart, but Tatum pulled Luguentz Dort from the low block, leaving no one to tag the roller.
But Boston started settling for out-of-rhythm threes off one pass, playing into a 9-0 Oklahoma City run comprised of three layups and a Dort long-range make from above the break. That gave the Thunder a 14-8 advantage.
Ending a nearly three-minute Celtics' scoring drought, Jaylen Brown attacked off the dribble for a pull-up jumper from above the right elbow. Then came Brown getting to the cup for two points.
And on Boston's next possession, the hosts hit their first three of the night on a play where everyone touched the ball, there were multiple drive-and-kicks, and Smart found Horford for an open look from the right slot to put Boston ahead 17-16.
With Shai Gilgeous-Alexander doing damage from all three levels and getting to the foul line, leading to his game-high 12 points with 3:25 left in the opening frame, the Thunder reclaimed the lead, 30-21.
However, just before SGA's turnaround bank shot from inside the paint, Brown produced two points off a cut to the basket, rescuing Boston from an unpromising possession. Horford also did well to have his head up and spot Brown cutting.
On the Celtics' following possession, Brown generated two more points off the cut, flashing from the weak-side corner, collecting another pass from Horford, and knocking down a jump shot from the right elbow. That trimmed Boston's deficit to 30-23.
Luke Kornet had a productive first shift, tipping a Derrick White missed three, allowing Tatum to grab the ball, go strong to the basket, and lay it in, cutting the hosts deficit to 30-27 with 2:20 on the clock.
Kornet also played solid defense, swatted a Dort layup, and moved the ball effectively.
With Malcolm Brogdon out for the third-straight game due to right hamstring tightness, Payton Pritchard got into the game late in the first quarter. Quickly making an impact, he tracked down a missed three by Tatum and laid the ball in off the glass with 2.4 seconds left to cut Boston's deficit to 35-32 entering the second period.
Celtics Struggle to Find Their Rhythm in Second Frame
The second quarter opened with Sam Hauser drilling a three off the move as he got the ball from White and buried a shot from above the break.
Less than a minute later, Tatum missed a layup then picked up a personal foul at the other end. Frustrated with himself, he slapped his hands together, but with the near-by official interpreting it as a reaction to the foul call, he hit Tatum with a technical.
A stretch that included two illegal screens against Boston in 12 seconds, plus a charge against Smart not long after, made it difficult for the Celtics to find, let alone sustain, a rhythm offensively.
Boston turned to the low post to work through those struggles, resulting in an old-school three-point play by Horford when Aleksej Pokusevski wanted no part of defending him on the block but didn't corral him with enough force to prevent Horford from getting two points at the rim.
Shortly after that, Tatum took out some of his frustration with a thunderous one-handed transition jam.
The Celtics went into the break trailing 69-62 and shooting 45.7 percent from the field, which is respectable, but only 5/20 from beyond the arc.
Brown matched Gilgeous-Alexander with a game-high 18 points at the break. Tatum provided 15, and Horford added ten, while the Thunder had three, including 12 from Jalen Williams and 11 from Dort.
Celtics Still Searching for Sources of Offense, but Pritchard Provides a Late Spark to End the Third Quarter
Continuing to attack from the low post to work around their long-range struggles, Horford delivered an entry feed to Tatum that translated to the latter knocking down a 14-foot turnaround fadeaway.
Still, that doesn't seem like a winning formula, especially on a night where the opposition has 38 points in the paint with 3:24 left in the third quarter.
But the Celtics got a needed energy boost when Smart stripped the ball from Aaron Wiggins, went strong to the cup, and generated a layup, plus a foul. As the crowd erupted, he let out a battle cry before going to the line for a free throw that cut Boston's deficit to 90-80 with 3:37 to play in the period.
Again providing an infusion of energy off the bench, Pritchard drilled a three from 32 feet after a Brown drive attempt got stonewalled by Jalen Williams. He then stripped Gilgeous-Alexander, broke for the basket, and laid the ball in before the buzzer blew, bringing the score to 96-89 entering the final frame.
Celtics Rally in Fourth Quarter, Fend off Thunder for Seventh-Straight Win
At the 11:37 mark, Tatum found Pritchard for a three from the right wing, trimming the gap to 99-94. It was Tatum's first assist of the game.
With 6:03 remaining, much like when Pritchard stripped Gilgeous-Alexander, leading to his buzzer-beating layup, SGA struggled to protect the ball with two defenders surrounding him near half-court.
The result was Gilgeous-Alexander getting whistled for a push-off. Smart then threaded the ball through the Thunder's 1-2-2 zone defense with a no-look pass to Tatum, who took off for a two-handed flush, tying the game at 107.
At the 3:43 mark, with Boston leading 111-110, Tatum got the ball in the low post. And with Gilgeous-Alexander guarding him, Tatum quickly went right at the Oklahoma City star, capitalizing on his size and strength advantages. Rather than shying from contact, he initiated it, going baseline for a layup.
But with Dort and Gilgeous-Alexander keeping the Thunder in the game, Smart buried a baseline jumper from 20 feet, followed by a three from 28 feet out. That put the hosts ahead 118-115 with 1:48 to go.
White then took a kick-out pass from Smart and elevated without hesitation, swishing a three that gave Boston a 121-115 advantage with 1:02 left.
With 37.8 seconds remaining, Smart came off a screen from Tatum, knowing the latter's defender, Dort, would stick with him. He also saw Pokusevski tight to Horford at the right block. Gilgeous-Alexander has the length and quickness to produce a stop, but Smart's push off, followed by SGA reaching and Smart covering considerable ground on his spin move, led to a lefty layup off the glass. That put Boston ahead 123-118.
Gilgeous-Alexander kept Oklahoma City in striking distance with an old-school three-point play and a layup, but the Celtics countered with Smart finding White for two points at the cup, a play that put Boston ahead 125-120 with 9.6 seconds on the clock.
Tatum closed out the Celtics' seventh-straight win with a free throw, bringing the final score to 126-122.
While Tatum finished with a game-high 27 points, he did so on 23 shots. He made up for that lack of efficiency by asserting himself to the tune of ten free throws, capitalizing on eight of them.
He also grabbed ten rebounds, swiped three steals, and swatted three shots, a testament to his ability to impact the game in other ways.
As for the other half of Boston's dynamic wing tandem, Brown registered 26 points, six rebounds, and six assists.
The Celtics also got an outstanding performance from their floor general. Smart produced 22 points on 8/12 shooting, doing most of his damage around the basket. Along with providing a needed scoring boost for Boston, he dished out a team-high seven assists.
And on a night where the Celtics' second unit outscored the Thunder's 32-18, White stepped up with 16 points, six rebounds, and six assists. Pritchard delivered ten points, four rebounds, and two steals.
Those two applying the defensive pressure that made Oklahoma City uncomfortable, creating turnovers that fueled Boston offensively, changed the game's complexion.
Their contributions exemplified the team effort the Celtics needed to best a Thunder team that forced Boston to dig deep to earn its seventh-straight victory.
Further Reading
Here's Where Celtics Fell On Latest Edition of NBA Power Rankings
Celtics Offense Doing Something This Season Never Done Before in NBA History
Here's Where Celtics' Jayson Tatum Landed On NBA's Latest MVP Ladder
