BSJ Game Report: Celtics 135, Thunder 100 - C's run away in fourth for 60th win, best record in NBA

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

IN A NUTSHELL

The Celtics came out a little slow but they closed strong and took a seven-point first quarter lead. Despite allowing a lot at the rim, Boston’s defense was good enough to hold OKC to under 50 at the half and they doubled their lead at the half. The Thunder came out strong to start the third, and Boston fouled like mad to help fuel that run, but the Celtics stabilized in time to only lose four off their lead. Jaylen Brown recovered from a rough game to key a huge run to start the fourth and turn a 10-point game into 28-point game. 

Box Score

HEADLINES

- Handling their business: The Celtics came out strong, built a double-digit lead, took the other team’s one big punch, and answered with an even bigger punch. That's what a good team is supposed to do against a team in OKC’s situation. 

- Kristaps Porzingod: The Thunder switch a ton and that was not a great strategy against Kristaps Porzingis. He ate the Thunder up from the beginning, punishing them either by posting up against guards or drawing Chet Holmgren out to the 3-point line.

- Top seed clinched: Boston will have home-court advantage throughout the playoffs. They have won 60 games, 13 more than the second-place Milwaukee Bucks. 

TURNING POINT

The Celtics went on a 25-7 run to start the fourth quarter, fueled by a perfect six minutes from Brown. He was 4-4 from the field (2-2 3pt), with two rebounds, two assists, and a steal. 

THINGS I LIKED

- The process of answering their run: This is going to be the focus of my next piece, but I really thought the 18 minutes after halftime was a great sign for them because of how it started and how it ended. OKC came out strong and started to draw “here we go again” reactions, then the Celtics started making shots to stabilize things, and then they finally started getting stops. I liked how that all went for them. 

- Porzingis: As much as he punished the Thunder on the offensive end, he also stifled them on the defensive end. He had five blocked shots, and seems to be ramping up a bit on the defensive end. 

“My legs are a little bit better, but mostly it's just starting to turn up a little bit more,” he explained after the game. “Understanding that we have like playoffs soon. I want to be at the best, like, best moment for the playoffs. And yeah, just getting into that mindset finishing the regular season strong. That’s what I'm trying to do.”

- Brown’s bounceback: I turned to my colleague on press row late in the third quarter, after another Brown fumbled play, and said “I don’t normally say this about star players, but they probably need to just sit him down.” I then joked “now watch him hit three straight 3s to start the fourth.” 

Well, I wasn’t that far off. He shook off what he, himself called “a shit game” to power Boston’s knockout blow. 

Credit to him for sticking with it and finding that 10-point burst in him. He hit as many shots in the first six minutes of the fourth quarter as he did through the first three quarters (4-14 shooting for eight points). 

This is why you don’t bench stars. 

Al Horford: He was huge in that third quarter, hitting some really important shots to keep the Celtics lead up around 10 as the Thunder tried to make their run. 

Payton Pritchard: He had a team-high eight assists and was one of the catalysts in the third quarter. 

“He came in and I feel like just kind of changed the momentum of the game with his energy,” Horford said. “We went out there, we made some runs, we made some stops, he went after the ball with his ball pressure and then to start the fourth, I thought it was key for us to come out and not play games.”

THINGS I DIDN’T LIKE

- Allowing so much at the rim: The Celtics held the Thunder to 100 points, which is a really good defensive effort. Obviously, the Thunder were missing Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams, but 100 points is 100 points. Still, the Celtics let the Thunder, Josh Giddey especially, get to the rim a little too easily for stretches. If there's a place to nitpick, this and fouling too much in the third quarter are the places to do it. 

HIGHLIGHTS

ONE TAKE KARALIS WILL PROBABLY REGRET LATER

- The Celtics really wanted this one

It didn’t really matter what happened in this game because Boston was going to get the one win they needed at some point to clinch the top seed. 

But like Homer Simpson looking for a flash-fried buffalo, they wanted it now. 

“We definitely talked about it as a team,” Joe Mazzulla said. “Trying to treat this game as like the clincher to kind of put that on ourselves to do that. I think it was important for us to simulate that.”

And credit to the Celtics for taking advantage of that opportunity. Thinking about how things have gone for Boston in past potential clinchers, getting into the mentality of finishing the job while it’s in front of you is something that will benefit them. 

“Tonight was a night where it was like, if we win this game, we could achieve something,” Porzingis said. “Joe just kind of poked us a little bit and got us going for the game, knowing that we could clinch it, and we went out there and took care of business.”

That they did. They got the top overall seed and they're one of only 14 Celtics teams to get to 60 wins in a regular season. As I’ve said in the past, it’s important to be able to look at what you’ve accomplished from time to time and enjoy what you’ve been able to do. At least for a little while.

“It's just a testament to the guys,” Mazzulla said. “We should enjoy it tonight. Wake up tomorrow and nobody cares. Time to get back to work.”

Next up: The Celtics host the Sacramento Kings Friday night