BOSTON — Sam Hauser couldn't get out of his own way to start Wednesday night's game. The Oklahoma City Thunder decided to help off him, leaving the career 42.0% three-point shooter wide-open from beyond the arc. He made his first triple of the night, but then missed five straight shots - four threes and a layup (on which he was blocked at the rim).
That lack of offense put the Boston Celtics in a hole. Led by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Lu Dort's shot-making, the Thunder quickly jumped out to a 14-7 lead. And from that point on, the Celtics were working from behind.
Baylor Scheierman and Hugo Gonzalez checked in the game and gave Boston a nice infusion of energy, and Jaylen Brown followed suit. He struggled with efficiency, but his quick decision-making helped breathe some life into Boston's offense.
Defensively, the Celtics got burned by two things: Gilgeous-Alexander and role player threes. More specifically, Dort threes.
But the key to their slow-moving comeback was quick thinking.
Brown struggled with efficiency, but he attacked. Jayson Tatum put together a relatively efficient performance, but he slowed the game down at times.
The key to beating the Thunder (or trying to) is to play fast, and the Celtics were at their best when they were doing that.
Playing fast doesn't necessarily mean ball movement or off-ball movement. It just requires quick decision-making. In fact, playing one-on-one and moving quickly may be what's best against Oklahoma City.
Hold the ball too long? The Thunder set their defense. Make too many passes? The Thunder get a steal. Set too many screens and bog down the offense? The Thunder get physical.
Brown attacked as soon as he saw an opening. And as the game went on, Tatum started to do the same. As a result, they were able to create open shots for their teammates, who made the Thunder pay for double-teaming Boston's stars.
Joe Mazzulla even experimented with a Tatum-at-center lineup, and it looked good. Boston got some great energy from that group, and they matched up well on defense.
But as impressive as Boston's fight was, Gilgeous-Alexander is inevitable. His incredible shot-making (and a rough patch of defense from Neemias Queta) led the Thunder to a 53-49 halftime lead.
When the third quarter came around, the Celtics got jumped again. A steady stream og Gilgeous-Alexander buckets, empty Boston offensive possessions, and turnovers had the Thunder up by as many as eight points.
Then, the Celtics found their rhythm.
Scheierman enjoyed a brief moment in the sun. He nailed a three and forced a Thunder turnover, igniting the TD Garden crowd.
However, most importantly, Brown was a man on a mission. He attacked the paint relentlessly, forcing his way into Oklahoma City's defense. He got to the line, found easy kick-outs to teammates, and finished strong at the rim.
Even Queta picked up his play. He found space deep in the paint and made the most of his chances.
But yet again, Gilgeous-Alexander was there to respond. Brown and Gilgeous-Alexander went back and forth all quarter, and by the end of the third, they both had 14 points in the frame.
However, Boston's three-point shooting kept it ahead. The Celtics entered the fourth with an 88-83 lead.
And when the fourth quarter came around, it was all Boston all the way. Brown continued his monster night, but the Celtics got contributions up and down the roster.
Tatum and Brown both got to the free-throw line. Scheierman nailed a three. Hauser hit a three. Queta made his mark inside. Even Payton Pritchard got in on the action.
But as the minutes wound down, the Thunder found a spark.
A pair of Celtics turnovers around the four-minute mark gave the Thunder a chance to get out in transition. And in tandem, the fouls started raining down.
Gilgeous-Alexander got to the line over, and over, and over again. It turned a double-digit Celtics lead into a game that was well within striking distance for Oklahoma City.
He wasn't the only guy drawing fouls, though. Brown matched him stride for stride in the game of grifting.
As the game ticked under two minutes, the Celtics were managing a three-possession lead, but Oklahoma City wouldn't go down without a fight.
But with just under a minute to go, Brown drove to the hoop for a bucket to put Boston up by eight. That was the dagger.
After a Derrick White steal, the Thunder intentionally fouled, and Brown started waving his hands to hype up the Celtics fans in the crowd.
That was that. A hard-fought Celtics victory, led by Brown.
Big winner: It was obvious that this game meant a little bit more to Brown, and he showed it.
Not only was he aggressive on the offensive end, but in the first half, he even took on the challenge of guarding Gilgeous-Alexander for stretches.
His willingness to make quick decisions with the basketball was one of the main reasons for Boston's offensive successes in this game.
Ouch, tough one: Whenever the Celtics slowed the game down, it was bad news. When they over-passed, over-screened, and turned the ball over on offense, it was bad news.
Moving slowly is a death sentence against this Thunder team. It's a one-way ticket to getting pickpocketed and beaten down with physicality.
At the same time, moving too quickly can be