This game between the Celtics and Thunder was extremely hyped up as both teams have been on a roll lately. The Celtics came into this game with the Thunder on a six-game winning streak. Boston was able to have their core back and healthy which helped out today in OKC. The Celtics were able to play as a unit and they made the Thunder pay whenever they had a turnover. The Thunder had 10 turnovers but with those turnovers, the Celtics capitalized on them for 20+ points making them pay for it. The Boston Celtics had a true plan and that was for them to get Danilo Gallinari switched onto Kemba Walker or Jayson Tatum. When the Celtics had that switch going they were able to execute at a high level. Jayson Tatum was able to take over in that first half of the game as he was showing why he’s an NBA All-Star. Jayson has been able to improve his game throughout the year and had it on full display in OKC. Tatum was able to hit 3 pointers and he was able to get to the basket with ease. The Thunder had Gallinari and Chris Paul on Tatum but it didn’t work out the way that they wanted. Jayson Tatum finished with 26 points on the night and was a problem that OKC couldn’t solve. Tatum playing that type of game also opened up the opportunity for his teammates as well. When Tatum draws that attention from the defense it gave Jaylen Brown a chance to exploit the defense in the worst way.
Jaylen Brown has grown a lot and this season he was a borderline All-Star. Today Brown was able to get to the rim and hit some tough shots when the Thunder weren’t able to make the right reads. It seemed as though Brown had a lot of moments open that he made the Thunder pay on. The game was back and forth but Brown was able to add 17 points to the game. Brown left the game for a little bit of the game and that’s when Kemba Walker was able to emerge on the scene. Kemba Walker has everything in his bag of tricks from the layups all the way to the crossover fadeaway. Kemba was able to take advantage of the switches when the Thunder got caught with a big on him in his sweet spots. Kemba finished the game with 27 points on the night and was able to hit some tough shots down the stretch. At one point in the 4th quarter, Kemba was able to hit back to back 3 pointers to give the Celtics some space. One thing that the Celtics learned tonight is that the OKC Thunder will continue to fight and they’re a scrappy team. The play that pretty much sealed the deal for the Celtics win was the late steal that Marcus Smart was able to get on Shai Gilgeous-Alexander with less than a minute left in the game. Marcus Smart made the play of the game and he added some scoring down the stretch. He finished with 7 points but they were points that were definitely needed at those moments. The Celtics overall as a group played together and made some tough shots down the stretch to secure the win.
The OKC Thunder were able to compete all night as they were within 5 points for the majority of the game. Boston didn’t have an answer for the Thunder Big 4 tonight. Shai and Danilo both combined for 48 points on the night as we’re able to be aggressive on the perimeter when given the chance. When Shai plays that aggressive it usually ends up being a Thunder win. Shai was able to attack Smart, Brown, and Wanamaker anytime they were guarding him. The growth of Shai was on display tonight as he was able to show that he can pull up for some 3 pointers in transition as well. If Shai can play with this kind of aggressiveness people will back off some which will create more opportunities for his inside game. Shai’s a second-year player but his game is smooth like an 8 year veteran in the NBA. The game didn’t end the way that Shai wanted it too as he had a crucial turnover late in the game that helped Boston out. This is just a learning curb for Shai as he will continue to grow and his game will evolve as time continues to go on. Shai’s the future of this organization and he made some plays that helped the Thunder get in the position they were in against some great Boston defenders. Danilo Gallinari was huge for the Thunder as he was hitting some big shots for them as well throughout the night. Billy Donovan had to adjust to the Celtics lineup switches and he was playing offense/defense late but it just didn’t work. Late in the game, Gallinari was on the bench during some plays that the Thunder would have wanted him in there for but that’s the gamble you take. Chris Paul played a huge part in this game as well because of the defense on Jayson Tatum throughout the night. Chris finished with 22 points but was able to pick his spots and when to attack. The leadership of Chris Paul was on display as the Celtics were having trouble stopping the three-guard lineup. Oklahoma City had some big breaks at the end of the game and was able to show why they’re one of the best teams in the NBA. Chris Paul was a huge piece to the team today as he showed that he can still defend at a high level. The Thunder had some chances but just couldn’t get it done as the Celtics squeezed out of OKC with the victory. The Thunder will be playing against the Spurs on Tuesday as they try to get to 33-21 on the season,
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