Dennis Schroder scored 27 points off the Thunder bench, none bigger than the game-winning layup with 8 seconds remaining after a steal of Kemba Walker as the Thunder escaped the TD Garden with a 105-104 victory. Chris Paul added a game-high 28 points for the visitors who came back from a 16-point first half deficit to hand the Celtics their fourth straight loss on the TD Garden floor. Gordon Hayward looked sharp with 24 points in his return to the lineup but Kemba Walker struggled in his third game back from a knee injury (4-of-14 FG), which included the pivotal turnover in the backcourt after the C's appeared to seize command in the final minute.
All five starters scoring in double figures for the C's who have now dropped four of their last five overall and 2.5 games behind the Raptors in the race for the No. 2 seed. The schedule gets no easier this week with trips to Indiana and Milwaukee looming.
WHO: Celtics (42-20) vs. Thunder (39-24)
WHEN: 6:00 p.m.
WHERE: TD Garden
RADIO: 98.5 The Sports Hub
TV: NBC Sports Boston
Celtics
PG: Kemba Walker
SG: Marcus Smart
SF: Jayson Tatum
PF: Gordon Hayward
C: Daniel Theis
Thunder
G: Chris Paul
G: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
F: Lu Dort
F: Danilo Gallinari
C: Steven Adams
Pregame Notes
- Gordon Hayward is probable to return to the lineup after missing his last two games with a sore knee. Jaylen Brown remains out with a strained hamstring but is set to be re-evaluated by team doctors in the next few days after suffering a Grade 1 hamstring strain last week.
- The Celtics have lost three consecutive home games for the first time all season, blowing leads of 11-plus in all three contests. They remain two games out of the No. 2 seed for the time being and hold a 2.5 game lead over Miami for the No. 3 spot.
- The Thunder have won two straight games on their three-game trip and are just 1/2 game behind the Rockets for the No. 5 seed in the Western Conference playoff race.
- OKC should be at full strength for this one beyond missing rookie power forward Darius Bazley who has been out for the past month with a right knee bone bruise.