The Boston Celtics grabbed a hard-fought win against the Oklahoma City Thunder behind a classic performance from Marcus Smart. The veteran point guard ended the game with 22 points, 5 rebounds, and 7 assists as the Celts came back and snagged an improbable home victory.
The Thunder led by as many as 15 in the second half, and Boston struggled to shoot the ball. Smart, along with Payton Pritchard and Derrick White, provided a needed burst of energy and poise, helping the Celtics move past a young Thunder team.
Jayson Tatum shot 9-23 from the field. Jaylen Brown finished with 5 turnovers. It didn’t matter. Buoyed by an excellent bench performance, the Celtics hung tough against an eager Thunder team to secure a hard-fought home win. Here’s what you missed.
Taking the temperature on early season Boston Celtics trade targets https://t.co/VS00v1LJ0B
— The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) November 14, 2022
Boston was ice cold from 3
One of the biggest challenges for the Celtics against the Thunder was poor shooting from distance. Though the Celts finished the game 10-of-37 from three, the club was rather icy during the first half. Boston’s starters went just 4-of-25 from deep.
The Thunder, meanwhile, had a great night shooting the ball. Boston’s defense was quick to collapse on any action in the paint, granting OKC a ton of open looks. The visiting team went a respectable 11-of-30 from 3 for the night.
The Celtics came into the game launching 41.1 3-point attempts per game, the highest mark in the NBA. Predicating so much of the offense on the 3-ball works when the shots are falling. On nights like tonight, cold shooting quickly becomes a damper on establishing any sort of rhythm.
Boston did hit a few major 3 in the fourth. Marcus Smart in particular nearly blew the roof off the TD Garden with a clutch shot from deep late in the game. Still, poor shooting made things difficult for the Celtics, despite the win.
Can you name Boston’s 10 most prolific postseason scorers? Better yet, can you do it in order? https://t.co/d0J8Fsd3BD
— The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) November 15, 2022
Payton Pritchard is earning his minutes
Malcolm Brogdon missed Monday night’s game as he continues to nurse a tight hamstring. Pre-game Mazzulla downplayed the severity of the injury, but all the same, Boston was once again without its third-leading scorer.
With Brogdon’s prolonged absence, Payton Pritchard has seen an uptick in minutes and usage. Against the Thunder, the third-year guard logged 14 minutes. Pritchard ended the game with 10 points, 4 rebounds, and 2 steals, including a few big plays to keep things close in the third.
Between Brogdon, Sam Hauser, and Derrick White, Pritchard has seen truncated playing time. Making the most of opportunities like Monday night will be critical if the former Oregon Duck wants consistent burn.
The Celts finished with 32 bench points. Boston’s deep rotation is certainly a blessing, even if it is a challenge for some of the individual players.
This is every player in Boston’s history who wore the Celtics’ No. 42 jersey for at least one game as of Sep. 2022. https://t.co/jjG3jkLNwZ
— The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) November 14, 2022
The bench helped keep the Celtics alive
Al Horford quietly had a nice game. Marcus Smart’s defensive intensity helped the Celtics maintain some composure and hang tough, especially in the second half. Tonight, though, Boston’s bench deserved some of the biggest kudos.
The aforementioned Payton Pritchard really helped swing the momentum. His heads-up play at the end of the third completely turn the emotional tide for the Celtics heading into the final frame.
Right behind Pritchard was Derrick White. His 16 points and 5 assists certainly helped Boston’s offensive effort, but White’s 4 steals were perhaps his biggest contribution. With the starters lacking much mojo, White gave the Celtics a real shot in the arm.
Tatum finished with 27 points and 10 rebounds, despite an otherwise rough night. Brown, too, contributed 26 points. Good players will get theirs, even when things are a little off. Tonight it was the other guys in green who got it done, earning the Celtics their 7th straight victory.
Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla was asked about Robert Williams Monday night, who has been sidelined since September following a knee procedure. https://t.co/abXlHSwDfz
— The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) November 15, 2022
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