One game removed from a loss to the Denver Nuggets, the Oklahoma City Thunder picked up a statement victory.
Taking on the Boston Celtics in the TD Garden, the Thunder was looking to bounce back, and they ended up securing a 118-112 victory.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the way for Oklahoma City, scoring 34 points and adding seven assists and five rebounds while shooting 11-of-20 from the field.
With Jalen Williams sidelined with a hip injury, not even taking the trip with the Thunder, one key star stepped up. Chet Holmgren added 23 points and 15 rebounds, shooting 8-of-14 from the floor.
The 7-footer had a remarkable game as the Thunder took the season series over the Celtics 2-0.
Boston opted to lean heavily into their play style, shooting 63 3-pointers and converting on 20 of them, which the Thunder was able to capitalize on.
Their 3-point-heavy style leads to scruntity, especially when they lose.
With Oklahoma City picking up the road win, many were shocked by the Celtics' shot diet, even though they've played that way all season.
Bill Simmons' reaction to Celtics loss to Thunder
Bill Simmons was quite candid after the Celtics took a loss to the Thunder, using the game to prove his point. Not only did he credit Oklahoma City for their "great win," he claimed the Celtics need to change their approach before the playoffs.
"That's a great win for OKC. 2 4Q wins against Boston and SGA was best guy both times. Doesn't seem like the Celts can guard him. (Maybe nobody can.) The Celts need to look in the mirror a little - 62 threes is just absurd even with no KP. You can't win 4 rounds that way," Simmons wrote on X.
That's a great win for OKC. 2 4Q wins against Boston and SGA was best guy both times. Doesn't seem like the Celts can guard him. (Maybe nobody can.) The Celts need to look in the mirror a little - 62 threes is just absurd even with no KP. You can't win 4 rounds that way.
— Bill Simmons (@BillSimmons) March 13, 2025
Joe Mazzulla keeps a strict identity for the Celtics. They lean all the way into analytics and heavily utilize the 3-point line, whereas Mark Daigneault's squad was simply trying to contest -- not stop -- the opposition's barrage from beyond-the-arc.
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This story was originally published March 13, 2025 at 10:20 AM.