By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña
That was so nice that you had to say it twice. The Oklahoma City Thunder is the real deal, ladies and gentlemen.
In a highly anticipated inter-conference heavyweight clash, Oklahoma pulled off a statement win and frustrated the Boston Celtics, 105-92, to rack up their franchise-record 15th consecutive victory in the ongoing NBA regular season on January 6, 2025.
Down by 10 points entering the second half, the Thunder was already in a familiar situation when they also trailed after the first two quarters in their past games against the New York Knicks and the Los Angeles Clippers.
To kick off another dramatic comeback, Oklahoma did where they are best at. Playing defense.
After the Celtics put up 65 points at the half, Oklahoma’s defensive adjustments limited them to a season-low 27 points, their worst scoring second-half in the 2024-2025 NBA season.
Oklahoma put an emphasis on locking up Boston’s drives, particularly on Jaylen Brown who already fired 21 markers in the first half.
Luguentz Dort answered the call for head coach Mark Daigneault and put Brown in handcuffs after holding him scoreless in the last two periods. The defensive menace didn’t give any space to breathe for the athletic shooting guard, shadowing him with great lateral coverage in the perimeter and got physical when he went up for his layups.
Jalen Williams also stepped up when the Thunder needed his defensive prowess as he contained Jayson Tatum in the second half, limiting him to a dismal 4/11 shooting from the field.
With their defensive game plan already glued up, Oklahoma’s superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander put the cherry on top and did damage on the offensive end, dropping 33 points built from a perfect 8/8 shooting from the charity stripe and three drained triples.
Fresh off a 33-point outing against the Knicks, SGA woke up just in time when the Thunder made a run in the second half and unleashed 16 markers in the two final frames.
Aside from his stellar scoring numbers, SGA also stuffed the stat sheets with 11 rebounds, six assists, three steals, and two blocks, boosting his chances of getting this year’s NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP) award.
During the post-match interview, Daigneault addressed Oklahoma’s lazy defensive coverage in the first half, the reason why they trailed early in the game.
The locker room talk at the half was then all about reminding the young guys of their defensive game plan and sticking to their identity, which showed results as Boston only scored 15 in the third, and 12 in the most important period.
Tatum led the Celtics with 26 points, 10 rebounds, and two steals, but needed more help from Brown in the second half where he was held scoreless.
Oklahoma will put their record on the line on January 9, 2024, as they face off against the hottest team in the East, the Cleveland Cavaliers, which boasts a 10-game winning streak.
On the other hand, the Celtics will aim to return to the NBA winning column on January 8, 2024, and will brace for a tough matchup against Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets.
