The Oklahoma City Thunder (5-3) play the defending NBA champion Boston Celtics (5-2) at TD Garden on Thursday in a matchup of two of the sharp teams in basketball. As the Celtics return with a five-game winning streak and the Thunder aim to regroup after their first setback in eight games, this should be a highly competitive affair involving two of the league's realistic title threats.
Celtics Keep Racking up Wins
A day after a seal victory over their arch-rivals, the Los Angeles Lakers, the Boston Celtics returned Tuesday, beating Utah Jazz, 114-108. Joe Mazzulla’s men dominated for long stretches of the game, spreading out a gaudy 21-point lead entering the fourth before they almost gave it away. So they were scrappy at the end, finishing the game on an 11-4 run to win it.
The Celtics were forced to do despite not having the services of their star forward Jayson Tatum, who was scratched with knee soreness. With him unavailable, Sam Hauser stepped up massively, putting up a season-high 33 points, while Jaylen Brown added 26 points, eight rebounds and seven assists as Boston kept its momentum into winning time.
The Celtics are 47-18 and competing with the New York Knicks to finish second behind the Cleveland Cavaliers, who have already secured a playoff spot, in the Eastern Conference. The Celtics will try to finish their seven-game homestand with a win, but if history is any indication, the Thunder will make that mission difficult as they lost three of the four head-to-head meetings since the start of 2023.
Thunder Look to Bounce Back After First Loss in Eight
The Oklahoma City Thunder are 53-12 entering Thursday’s clash, where they rank comfortably atop the Western Conference standings. Their recent dominance did take a hit on Tuesday, though, when they fell to the Denver Nuggets, 140-127, in the second half of back-to-back meetings.
Mark Daigneault’s team held a six-point halftime lead, but lost control of the game in the second half as Denver’s offense gained momentum. The star guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander — who had exploded for 40 points in their previous matchup — scored 25 points in the rematch, giving him at least 20 points in 59 consecutive games, the longest such streak in the league.
And with a cozy 11-game lead atop the West, the Thunder are closing in on clinching their place in the postseason. They have a five-game stretch against Eastern Conference opponents beginning with the Boston Celtics and will want to establish the tone before playing the Detroit Pistons, Milwaukee Bucks, Philadelphia 76ers and Charlotte Hornets.
Team News and Predicted Lineups for Key Players
The Celtics are optimistic that Jayson Tatum can return for this game, and they are also hoping veteran big man Al Horford can get back on the court after missing the last game with a toe injury. Kristaps Porzingis, meanwhile, is out indefinitely with what a team official has described as an undisclosed viral illness, leaving Boston at least a bit thin up front.
For the Thunder, forward Jalen Williams is questionable after he sustained a hip strain in the loss to Denver. Confirmed absentees are Ajay Mitchell (toe) and Nikola Topic (knee), the latter of whom is not expected to play again this season.
Projected Starting Lineups:
Boston Celtics: White, Holiday; Tatum, Brown; Horford
Oklahoma City Thunder: Gilgeous-Alexander, Dort; Wallace, Holmgren; Hartenstein
Prediction: Celtics Need to Protect Home Court
With both teams among the top three in the N.B.A. in defensive efficiency, this should be a strategic tussle. The Celtics have home-court advantage and a deep and balanced roster, but Gilgeous-Alexander’s high-octane offense is a legitimate threat. Assuming Boston can contain SGA and do it again down the stretch, they should win their eight straight in a possible NBA Finals preview.
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