Final: Thunder 105, Celtics 92 - Offense disitegrates under OKC second half pressure

BOSTON CELTICS (26-9) at OKC THUNDER (29-5)

Paycom Center, 3:30 p.m. - NBCS Boston/NBA TV

Line: Celtics -1.5

INJURIES

Boston: None

OKC: Alex Caruso (OUT, hip), Chet Holmgren (OUT, hip), Ajay Mitchell (OUT, toe), Nikola Topic (OUT, knee)

THINGS I’M LOOKING FOR

1: Turnovers: Both teams protect the ball extraordinarily well. OKC and Boston are one and two in the league in fewest turnovers, separated by just 13. So if one of these defenses can turn the other team over and get some points in transition, then they’ll have a big advantage. 

2: 3-point shooting: The Thunder protect the paint, so the kick-outs will be there for Boston. The key is to keep driving and then search for the shots. The Thunder have the best opponent 3-point shooting percentage in the league (33.1%) so let’s see if Boston can move the ball well enough to get the best looks. 

The Thunder are 20th in 3-point field goal percentage, and with Boston going double-big a lot, the Thunder are going to have to make some 3s to keep up if the Celtics get going. 

3: Keep Shai Gilgeous-Alexander out of the paint: Easier said than done, but the more the Celtics can build that wall to keep SGA from driving, the better their chances. Expect a lot of double-big lineups. 

Follow along with my thoughts as the game goes on. They’ll show up below and in the comments section, so hop in and share your opinion as well.