The Boston Celtics wrapped up their seven-game homestand by hosting the Western Conference-leading Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday night.
Boston, riding a five-game winning streak, and Oklahoma City, winners in eight of its last 10 games, collided for a potential NBA Finals preview. The Celtics, still without Kristaps Porzingis (illness), were noticeably energized by the environment of the marquee matchup and didn’t fail to rise to the occasion — four days after defeating LeBron James, Luka Doncic and the Los Angeles Lakers.
Jayson Tatum and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander went head-to-head, knotted up at 88-88 to begin the fourth quarter, but the Thunder was just a tad bit too much for the Celtics to overcome. The reigning champs dropped to 47-19 with the loss, bringing their winning streak to an end.
Here are four studs and two duds from Boston’s 118-112 loss to Oklahoma City at TD Garden:
STUDSJayson TatumAll eyes were on Tatum from the opening tip, and the six-time Celtics All-Star did not disappoint.
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Tatum performed like an MVP candidate, scoring a team-leading 33 points with seven rebounds and eight assists. The 27-year-old played a game-high 40 minutes and worked to keep the Celtics competitive throughout every minute. Tatum’s effort fell just short as the Thunder outscored the Celtics, 28-21, in the fourth quarter.
Derrick White’s sizzling-hot first-half shootingWhite’s composure — and shooting touch — was everything the Celtics needed to match Oklahoma City’s intensity before halftime.
The 30-year-old overcame the challenge of guarding the physical Thunder by uplifting Boston’s offense. White connected on five 3-point attempts, more than anyone else at the time, to help stabilize Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla’s offensive philosophy — the team shot 15-of-36 (41.7%) from three in the first half. White’s early efficiency helped bridge the gap Oklahoma City strived to build through its interior scoring.
White finished the game with 22 points on 7-of-14 shooting with three blocks — a game-high total.
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Shai Gilgeous-AlexanderDefending Oklahoma City’s free-throw merchant is as easy as solving a Sudoku puzzle, and the Celtics knew that entering the night.
Gilgeous-Alexander, the leading league MVP candidate, scored a game-high 34 points on 11-of-20 shooting from the field and 10-of-11 shooting from the charity stripe. The 26-year-old also grabbed five rebounds and dished out seven assists, rising the occasion on the road against a Celtics team that the Thunder might meet again in June once the battle for the Larry O’Brien Trophy begins.
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Al HorfordFather Time continues to chase Horford, and the 38-year-old continues to win that race.
Horford stepped up in Boston’s starting lineup, doing everything for the Celtics. Horford scored 18 points, grabbed 10 rebounds and six assists, giving head coach Joe Mazzulla 34 minutes of production. Boston also received one steal and two blocks from Horford, proving that the aging center can still deliver under the bright lights.
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DUDSJrue HolidayBoston didn’t get much of anything offensively from Holiday.
The 34-year-old was a hole in the Celtics’ offense, shooting an ineffective 4-of-10 from the floor to give the Celtics just nine points across 34 minutes. Holiday tallied three steals but only grabbed three rebounds and two assists, registering a minus-14 rating — the worst of anyone who took the floor for both teams.
Jaylen BrownIt was a rough performance for Brown.
In 38 minutes, Brown scored 10 points, shooting a subpar 5-of-15. Brown went 0-for-5 from three, turned the ball over twice and failed to get going offensively on a night where the Celtics needed all the firepower they could get. It was uncharacteristic but costly for Boston as the title defenders also fell to 23-12 at home this season.
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