Jayson Tatum grimaces as the Thunder’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander tries to rip the ball out of his hands.
Jayson Tatum grimaces as the Thunder’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander tries to rip the ball out of his hands.John Tlumacki/Globe Staff
Two of the favorites to win this year’s NBA title will meet Wednesday night when the Celtics close out a seven-game homestand against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Boston will enter the game as the No. 2 team in the Eastern Conference behind Cleveland. The Celtics have won five in a row and are 5-1 on their current homestand, with the lone loss coming against the Cavaliers on Feb. 28.
The Thunder sit at the top of the Western Conference standings and are fresh off a 140-127 home loss to Denver on Monday, which ended the team’s seven-game winning streak.
Oklahoma City forward Jalen Williams didn’t play in the second half of Monday’s loss with what the team described as a right hip strain. He has been ruled out for Wednesday’s game.
The 23-year-old is averaging 21.3 points, 5.5 rebounds and 5.3 assists per game this season.
The Celtics held on to defeat the Jazz 114-108 on Monday after nearly squandering a 24-point lead
Jayson Tatum (knee) didn’t play against Utah and is questionable for Wednesday. Jaylen Brown (knee) is listed as probable, and Kristaps Porzingis (illness) is questionable.
Tipoff is set for 7:30 p.m. Here’s your preview.
When: Wednesday, 7:30 p.m.
Where: TD Garden, Boston
TV, radio: ESPN, NBCSB, WBZ-FM 98.5
Line: Boston -4.5. O/U: 232.5.
THUNDER
Season record: 53-12. vs. spread: 39-23, 3 pushes. Over/under: 37-28
Last 10 games: 8-2. vs. spread: 5-5. Over/under: 7-3
CELTICS
Season record: 47-18. vs. spread: 30-35. Over/under: 29-35, 1 push
Last 10 games: 8-2. vs. spread: 6-4. Over/under: 4-6
TEAM STATISTICS
Points per game: Oklahoma City 119.7, Boston 116.9
Points allowed per game: Oklahoma City 107.1, Boston 108.2
Field goal percentage: Oklahoma City .478, Boston .462
Opponent field goal percentage: Oklahoma City .436, Boston .453
3-point percentage: Oklahoma City .367, Boston .371
Opponent 3-point percentage: Oklahoma City .336, Boston .348
Stat of the day: The Celtics shot just 9 of 46 (19.6%) on 3-point attempts against the Thunder in Boston’s loss on Jan. 5.
Notes: Following Monday’s game, Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said Jalen Williams would be evaluated further on Tuesday. ... If Tatum suits up, the game will feature two of the league’s marquee players in Tatum and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Gilgeous-Alexander is averaging a league-best 32.7 points per game and is a strong candidate to win the NBA’s MVP award. ... Gilgeous-Alexander had 33 points and 11 rebounds when Oklahoma City earned a 105-92 home victory against Boston in January. Tatum finished with 26 points and 10 rebounds in that game. ... Porzingis has missed the last six games with an undetermined viral illness.
Max Schwartzberg can be reached at max.schwartzberg@globe.com. Follow him on X @mschwartzberg27.