BSJ Game Report: Celtics 126, Thunder 122 - C's defense wakes up in time to salvage win

Everything you need to know about the Celtics' win over the Oklahoma City Thunder, with BSJ insight and analysis

IN A NUTSHELL

The Celtics were barely present for the better part of three quarters, barely playing any defense and turning the ball over a lot. They were out-worked by the team on the back-to-back for most of the game, and whenever they did do something right, they ended up missing the shot. Then they woke up at the end of the third quarter and they ramped up their defense in the fourth to come away with the win.

Box Score

HEADLINES

Regression came fast: Should I apologize for the piece I wrote saying Boston’s shooting was due for a regression? It came all at once, with the Celtics shooting just 10-37 in this game, but it would have been much worse if the Celtics weren’t 4-8 in the fourth quarter. The Celtics started this game 3rd in the NBA with 39% shooting. They've dropped a spot to 4th, losing a full percentage point with this performance.

Defense showed up when it mattered: The Celtics' defensive rating is 21st in the league, but they're the fifth-best defensive team in the fourth quarter. They forced 7 fourth-quarter turnovers for 10 points, and 14 overall in the second half for 17 points. 

Smart the hero: Every once in a while he’ll get hot, and he was a perfect 4-4 in the fourth with 4 assists to lead the Celtics. With his scoring and assists, he generated 19 of Boston’s 37 points. 

TURNING POINT

We’ll go back to the end of the third quarter for this, because this is where, to borrow a phrase from Jaylen Brown, the energy shifted. The Thunder had taken a 90-75 lead, but the Celtic closed on a 14-6 run. That not only cut the lead to 7, but it also set the tone for the fourth quarter. At that point, I turned to another reporter on press row and said this has “perfect OKC game” vibes -- play great for the better part of three quarters, fall apart in the fourth, and lose a tough game where they showed all sorts of promise. 

FIVE UP

Marcus Smart: The Celtics weren’t hitting shots, then Smart saw he had opportunities to score in the paint. 

"Blake Griffin actually was telling me, right now guys aren’t hitting,” Smart said. “You in the paint, take your shot, make the late pass if they come late. But take the shot first because that’s what they’re giving, and then it’ll open up for everybody else. So I just stayed aggressive and realized that I had the advantage.” 

Smart was even able to back down Lu Dort, who you might have mistaken for a brick wall on the floor. Not only did 10 of Smart's 22 come in the fourth, but 20 of his 22 came in the second half. He carried the Celtics when shots weren’t falling for anyone else. 

Jayson Tatum: A rough shooting night in general but he also had 10 in the fourth quarter to go along with an assist and a block. He shot terribly, and was very visibly frustrated by the in-and-out misses, but he was able to get to the line 10 more times to finish with 27 points. He also had 10 rebounds, 3 steals, and 3 blocked shots. 

Jaylen Brown: His 3-pointers didn’t fall, and he turned it over 5 times, but he was a steady hand over 41 minutes. He shot 52.4%, scored 26 points, and added 6 rebounds and 6 assists. Brown’s playmaking has been on display recently, which is impressive for a guy who normally doesn’t rack up assists.

Derrick White: Scan the box score and one number really jumps out at you: on a night where the Celtic were down almost the whole way, and down by as much as 15, White managed to be a game-high +21…

Payton Pritchard: … and let me fold this guy in because these two guys saved the game. That third quarter turning point was all about their effort. 

“They came in – first unit was a little sluggish, we tried, we was getting everything, guys just couldn’t find it – and those two came in and they gave us the jolt we needed,” Smart said. “So the energy definitely shifted with those two guys coming in the game.”

White finished with 16 points, 5 assists, and 4 steals. Pritchard had 10 points and 2 steals, and of course 3 more offensive rebounds because that's just what he does now.

ONE DOWN

Grant Williams: He picked up his third technical foul of the season, and this is the biggest reason he’s even here. Williams should have no technical fouls this season. He has to stop with the officials. He has to stop being surprised when he gets a tech. He has to stop with all of it. 

TOP PLAYS

ONE TAKE KARALIS WILL PROBABLY REGRET LATER

- Tatum’s tech was outrageous

I don't know if this was a reputation call or what, but the technical foul on Tatum was so bad that Kevin Durant and Ja Morant tweeted about it.

It’s hard to say what the ref saw or thought he saw, but it was obvious to everyone on press row that it was a bad tech. 

“I think I just missed the layup and I just committed a foul, so I was like…” Tatum said before tailing off. ‘Anybody in the arena. Anybody watching the game could have seen it. I was frustrated with myself. I didn't say anything. I didn't look at him. So you know after the game, you can just laugh it off when you see it.”

It does lend some credence to the thought that Tatum’s constant complaining has earned him a bad rep and the ref thought he saw Tatum’s classic dismissive wave. It does lend some credence to the thought that refs have had enough of the constant complaining, even if it has significantly tailed off this season. 

There's a good chance that tech will get rescinded, and since Boston won there's no real harm done in the long run. But reputations matter, so I wonder how much that factored into this.

Between the techs on Tatum and Grant Williams, this is concerning. They keep getting rung up, and Williams has already gotten himself tossed once. There's a line here between allowing emotions and controlling reactions to refs. It needs to be found.