BOSTON — Every time the Thunder looked like they were going to pull away from the Celtics, the reigning champs responded right back. But by the end of the game, the C’s didn’t have enough makes as they fell 118-112 to the Thunder on Wednesday at TD Garden.
The Celtics saw their 3s dry up as they also didn’t match the Thunder’s physicality. But MVP candidate Shai Gilgeous-Alexander noticed a key element to the Celtics' championship DNA throughout the game.
“They don’t flinch or budge,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “When you play against them, they are confident and they know what they’re trying to accomplish out there at both ends of the floor, and they do it at a confident, high level. I think that’s what makes them so good. Now whether the ball goes in or out for them doesn’t deter or doesn’t change how they play or the way they play. I think that’s pretty impressive.”
Both teams were without a key player as the Celtics missed Kristaps Porzingis while Jalen Williams was out. Celtics stars like Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum both credited Oklahoma City for the victory, pointing out how the Thunder were more physical throughout the night. It also didn’t help that the C’s shot just 5-for-27 (18.5%) on 3-pointers in the second half. But still, the Celtics forced a close game even though they were missing shots down the stretch.
The Thunder sent some messages Wednesday in a showdown that could be a potential NBA Finals preview. Neither team spoke about the playoffs considering it’s far from a guarantee, but both squads are certainly talented enough to make such a deep run. So, the Thunder weren’t taking a victory over the reigning champs for granted.
“It’s huge,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “Just because they’ve done it, because they’ve done what we’re trying to do, the games against them are always going to be heightened. They’re always going to be a little bit more exciting. They achieved what we are trying to accomplish and there’s no better test in NBA. You play for late June and the other team had won late June.”
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