Jayson Tatum and the Boston Celtics will square off against Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Oklahoma City Thunder in a nationally-televised game on Thursday night.
It is a possible NBA Finals preview at the Paycom Center, as the Celtics' chances to come out of the Eastern Conference have shot up amid Tatum's return last week from an Achilles tendon rupture.
Boston begins the day 3.5 gamed behind the Detroit Pistons for the East's No.1 seed, while Oklahoma is 2.5 games clear of the San Antonio Spurs for the top seed in the Western Conference.
Tatum has played three games since his March 6 return. Though he is shooting under 40 percent from the field, the five-time All-NBA selection is averaging 19.7 points to go with 6.7 rebounds and 3.7 assists as he gets back up to game speed.
Tatum's career splits against the Thunder could offer Celtics fans some optimism that the 28-year-old will look like his "old self" on Thursday night.
Tatum averages better than 25 points per game against OKC
In 15 career games against Oklahoma City, Tatum is averaging 25.3 points, 8.0 rebounds and 3.4 assists.
The Thunder are one of only six teams against which Tatum averages 25 points or more for his career.
In addition, Tatum's career 47.3 percent field goal rate against the Thunder is the eighth-best that he has accrued against any NBA team.
In his last game against the Thunder on March 12, 2025, Tatum scored a team-high 33 points on 12-of-23 shooting. But the Celtics suffered a 118-112 home loss, as Gilgeous Alexander led all players with 34 points.
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