Brian Fluharty-USA TODAY Sports
The Top 5 Plays from Monday's Celtics-Thunder Game
Headlining the Top five plays from Monday's Celtics-Thunder game are Payton Pritchard's buzzer-beater and a pair of critical field goals in crunch time. They also feature Boston's defense fueling its offense and Jayson Tatum turning a no-look dish from Marcus Smart into a two-handed slam.
Boston's Defense Fuels Its Offense
With Al Horford in a shallow drop, Isaiah Joe tries to attack downhill, but Grant Williams' stunt gets Joe to stop his dribble. He leaves the ground without a plan, resulting in a turnover.
Jaylen Brown scoops up the loose change, takes off towards the other end, and ladles the ball to Jayson Tatum, who, aided by Grant Williams impeding Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's path, has a runway to the rim.
Payton Pritchard Beats the Buzzer
The play above is a prime example of the havoc Derrick White and Payton Pritchard caused by pressing the Thunder, starting late in the third quarter. After the win, Jayson Tatum pointed to that as the turning point in Boston's 126-122 victory.
When White takes away the pass to Gilgeous-Alexander, Aleksej Pokusevski has to deal with Pritchard getting into his air space and challenging his ability to bring the ball up against pressure.
Pritchard forces Pokusevski towards the sideline; in a panic, the latter picks up the ball and tosses it to Gilgeous-Alexander as he loses his balance after pivoting towards the middle of the court.
That puts Gilgeous-Alexander in a difficult position, and he dribbles right into a double team as Pritchard comes off Pokusevski. He comes up with the theft, breaks for the basket, and lays the ball in before the buzzer blows, helping swing momentum entering the final frame.
Boston Bests Thunder's Zone Defense
The Thunder are in a 1-2-2 zone, and even with Jalen Williams and Gilgeous-Alexander pinched in, Smart's no-look pass gets the ball to Tatum in the middle of the defense.
With Jeremiah Robinson-Earl and Kenrich Williams keeping a foot outside the paint, Tatum faces up, takes a couple of steps, and throws down a two-handed flush.
Derrick White Comes Through in the Clutch
White steps into this shot and launches it without hesitation, burying a clutch three that gave the Celtics a 121-115 lead with 1:02 left. It was a field goal that went a long way towards ensuring White's fantastic two-way performance came in a win.
Marcus Smart Puts Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in the Spin Cycle
Smart knows that Tatum's defender, Dort, will stick with him after the screen. He also sees Pokusevski tight to Al 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, leads to a lefty layup off the glass. That put Boston ahead 123-118 with 37.8 seconds left, helping the Celtics close out Monday's win.
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
