On the second half of a back-to-back, against a lottery team in the Oklahoma City Thunder, all the makings of a trap game were in effect for the Boston Celtics on Monday. While it did get harrowing late, Boston was able to ride a hot start to survive a late run from the young Thunder in a 132-123 victory.
THE BREAKDOWN
It was all Celtics early, to put it lightly. Boston got off to a 13-0 start in the first two-plus minutes of the game, and held a 17-2 lead through three minutes. They’d end up doubling up the Thunder after the first twelve minutes, 38-18. Boston made 12 of their 21 first quarter shots, including six threes. Defense, once again, was a bright spot for the Celtics during that early stretch. OKC only made eight shots, one free throw, and one three in the first.
Boston lead end-to-end, but what started off as dominance turned tight as OKC made a run late in the fourth quarter to cut the deficit to seven after trailing by 20 earlier in the quarter. Boston, perhaps ailing a bit on the back half of a road back-to-back, was able to keep it all from falling apart and hung on to the victory.
STUDS AND DUDS
STUDS
Jayson Tatum: Tatum, once again, was in his bag. The game’s leading scorer, Tatum had 19 at half on an efficient 7-11 shooting, and finished with 36 points, six assists, and seven rebounds in the win.
Another 30 ball for JT @jaytatum0 ? pic.twitter.com/ybR7Hhzo0G
— Celtics on NBC Sports Boston (@NBCSCeltics) March 22, 2022
Grant Williams: Batman scored himself a new career-high in OKC. Williams started off strong with ten points points on 4/7 shooting in the first quarter, and kept up the contributions en route to a 20-point ten-rebound double-double.
Grant Williams beats the buzzer! @Grant2Will pic.twitter.com/DVAqucQDQF
— Celtics on NBC Sports Boston (@NBCSCeltics) March 22, 2022
Tre Mann: A big bright spot for OKC, Mann almost willed the Thunder back in the game single-handedly in the second quarter. He made five straight buckets midway through the period, and made his first seven threes in the contest. Mann led all scorers with 26 at the half, and finished with a team-high 35 points.
DUDS
Isaiah Roby: It’s never a good look for a starter to go scoreless, especially in a blowout. Roby failed to score a point in 26 minutes of action, missing all six of his shots from the floor.
TURNING POINT
OKC rode a few shots late to cut the deficit to seven with less than a minute left in the fourth quarter, but it was the Batman who arrived with some clutch hustle plays to secure the win. Williams was fouled after securing an offensive rebound, made both free throws, and blocked OKC’s desperation shot to push Boston to the win.
SO THAT HAPPENED…
Kendrick Perkins was on the call tonight in OKC, and in typical Perk fashion, he added his own flair to the myriad of Celtics highlights throughout the contest.
"HE IN HIS BAG LIKE HE GOT FRIES AT THE BOTTOM" @KendrickPerkins @jaytatum0 ? pic.twitter.com/K4qWKpkY4f
— Celtics on NBC Sports Boston (@NBCSCeltics) March 22, 2022
THAT’S WHAT HE SAID
Despite the less-than-stellar play late, Coach Udoka chose to take solace in the result of the team’s undefeated road trip. “What I told them was we finished off 4-0. It’s not always going to be the prettiest game.”
SWEAT THE BET
OKC’s late run put a damper on the betting front, as Boston was unable to cover Betonline.ag’s -14.5 point spread. The over of 216, however, was a hit.
CLEANING THE GLASS
- Pretty great scoring night for Boston—six Celtics scored in double figures.
- Boston had led by 20+ points in their last four games.
- The Celtics are 22-4 in their last 26 games.
