Some NBA fans might have considered the January 5 bout between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Boston Celtics a potential preview of the 2025 Finals. The two teams have young superstars leading talented and deep rosters while sitting atop their respective conferences.
While Jayson Tatum is still getting called out for his leading the C’s, it’s hard to deny that Boston would be in a much worse place if he’s donning another team’s jersey. Meanwhile, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is going from strength to strength as the Thunder continue to amaze as the best team in the West.
Given how well the two squads have been playing this season, it would be reasonable for the average fan to find it difficult to determine which team would win. However, the Thunder managed to snag the win from the C’s at the Paycom Center thanks to the home crowd, an incredible winning streak, and a phenomenal night from SGA.
Oklahoma City Thunder convincingly takes down the Boston Celtics, 92-105
The Celtics struggled to contain Gilgeous-Alexander on all fronts, as he put on the best performance in Oklahoma City’s 92-105 win.
The Kentucky alum put up fantastic numbers for the Thunder, finishing with an impressive stat line of 33 points, 11 rebounds, and six assists. He even put on a defensive shift against the Celtics with his three steals and two blocks.
Jalen Williams had a quiet shooting night with 10 points on 3-for-10 shooting, but he contributed through rebounds (5) and assists (6). Isaiah Hartenstein was the only one among the starters who didn’t score in double digits, but his ten boards, two takeaways, and three rejections more than made up for his lack of scoring.
Lu Dort talked about the team’s 15-game win streak, which broke the franchise’s record of 14 from their time as the Seattle Supersonics in 1996.
Per the BBC:
“We’re out there having fun,” said Thunder forward Luguentz Dort, who scored 14 points.
“Any time somebody does something well, we’re always out there cheering for them. We’ve been building this chemistry for years, and we’re clicking right now.”
The Celtics did everything they could to stop the Thunder’s win streak, with Tatum and Jaylen Brown scoring 26 and 21 points, respectively. However, Kristaps Porzingis was the only one on the Celtics roster who found his shooting stroke for the night.
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