Wednesday night was a critical game for the Boston Celtics for several reasons. Not only did they need a win over the Oklahoma City Thunder to stay ahead of the New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference standings, but they also needed to prove they could beat a championship-caliber team after struggling against them all season.
Furthermore, Jayson Tatum desperately needed a bounce-back performance after floundering in his last two games.
Fortunately for the Celtics, they addressed all of those issues with an impressive 119-109 victory over the defending champs at TD Garden.
Coming off back-to-back rest days, Boston got out to a slow start, falling behind by double digits in the first quarter. The Celtics didn't panic, however, and settled down in the second quarter, cutting the deficit to four points by halftime.
Boston only got better as the game progressed, putting together one of its best second halves of the season. The Celtics scored 70 points after halftime and outscored the Thunder by 14, completing one of their more impressive comebacks of the year.
JB & JT have been moving different for the Celtics 🔥
Boston takes down OKC in a potential NBA Finals preview 🍿 pic.twitter.com/xHcCB8GT5e
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) March 26, 2026
Not only did Oklahoma City have its 12-game winning streak snapped, but it also suffered its first loss by double digits since Feb. 12.
Six Boston players scored in double figures, led by Jaylen Brown's 31. He also notched eight points, eight rebounds and continued to feast at the foul line, going 12-for-14 from the charity stripe in another MVP-caliber performance.
Tatum snapped out of his funk with a big double-double, recording 19 points, 12 boards and seven assists while helping the Celtics win the rebounding battle.
MVP frontrunner Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led all players with 33 points and was highly efficient, going 10-for-12 from both the floor and free throw line.
Now 48-24, Boston will look to build off Wednesday's win and end its homestand on a high note on Friday against the Atlanta Hawks.
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