Thunder’s championship mettle on display in yet another win over Celtics

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BOSTON — This was one the defending champions wanted. The Oklahoma City Thunder clamped the visiting Boston Celtics late in a January victory, and in its title defense Boston had not yet lost a season series to another contender.

Except OKC did it again Wednesday, leveraging an 8-0 run midway through the fourth quarter to create separation in what had been to that point a great game between two great teams. The Thunder won the prizefight 118-112 showing a level of maturity that belied their youth, the very mettle you need to win a championship.

But Oklahoma City coach Mark Daigneault did not want his team to get ahead of itself.

“It’s March,” he said, “not June.”

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Thunder superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the NBA’s MVP favorite, who collected his customary 34 points, seven assists and five rebounds, was a little more willing to entertain this as a statement win.

“Because they’ve done what we’re trying to do, the games against them are always going to be a little more heightened and exciting,” he said. “They’ve achieved what we’re trying to accomplish, and there’s no better test in the NBA. We play for late June, and they’re the team that won, so playing against them is … something that we need to test ourselves against, and I guess we’ve passed the two tests so far.”

Oklahoma City was without its second All-Star, Jalen Williams, as he nurses a hip strain, but Chet Holmgren, who missed three months of his own to injury, stepped into that secondary role. His 23 points, 15 rebounds and ceaseless rim protection wreaked havoc in the absence of Boston’s Kristaps Porzingis.

Oklahoma City guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led all scorers in Wednesday’s Thunder-Celtics matchup with 34 points en route to an OKC win in enemy territory. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

Boston was also without a co-star, Jaylen Brown, though he played. Brown scored 10 points on 15 shots and fouled out in 38 minutes. He refused to blame the right knee issue that has cost him four games in recent weeks, instead crediting those who deserved it: Cason Wallace and OKC’s relentless…

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Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/nba/article/thunders-championship-mettle-on-display-in-yet-another-win-over-celtics-053549708.html

Author : Yahoo Sports

Publish date : 2025-03-13 05:35:00

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