For the second straight game the Celtics had a double-digit lead in the third quarter over a team with a +.500 record, and for the second straight game, the Celtics walked off the court with a loss, this time 99-96 to the Thunder. The Celtics leave Oklahoma City kicking themselves for poor late-game execution and still searching for their first “signature” win of the season (if you consider a Thunder team without Victor Oladipo for most of the game a “signature” opponent).
THE GAME FLOW
This was a slop-fest early, replete with turnovers and missed shots. Terry Rozier provided a nice boost off the bench midway through the quarter and the Celtics took a 24-21 lead to the bench at quarter’s end. A scary moment early on as Jonas Jerebko up-faked Victor Oladipo, took one dribble to his left and ducked his shoulder as Oladipo came crashing down on top of him. Oladipo landed hard, stayed down for a while and then was helped off the court. He wouldn’t return in this one.
With Oladipo out and Westbrook on the bench in the second quarter, the Cs used a 7-0 run to take a 36-29 lead, keyed by the ball movement that had fans excited against Orlando and in the first half of the Toronto game last Friday night. Stop me if you’ve heard this one before, though, the size of the opposition, in this case Steven Adams and Enes Kanter, gave the Celtics trouble and the Thunder second chances. The Cs took a 43-39 lead into intermission.
The Celtics stretched that lead to 13 in the third quarter, 66-53, spurred on by Marcus Smart. Smart found space to penetrate into the teeth of the Thunder defense, leading to some nice interior passes as well as kick-outs to open shooters and some nice hockey assists (Smart to Bradley on the perimeter, and then to Horford for a three).
In similar fashion to the last game against Toronto, the Cs let a double-digit lead slip away by settling for long jumpers and letting the opposing team’s superstar(s) assert himself. Westbrook and the Thunder finished the quarter on a 14-5 run and trailed by just four after the third quarter.
Jaylen Brown gave the Cs some nice minutes in the fourth quarter, hitting a three midway through the quarter to push the Celtics lead to eight, 86-78. Westbrook and Adams brought the Thunder back and a Russ contested three knotted things up at 92 a piece.
With the score tied at 94, Al Horford, who had a very quiet second half, was stuffed by Adams. The Cs then got the ball back, still tied, when Horford and Terry Rozier crossed wires and Horford threw the ball away. Westbrook would then slice through the Celtics defense and score, giving the Thunder a lead they wouldn’t relinquish.
With two chances to take the lead, Horford was stuffed and then subsequently turned the ball over. No overreactions here on Horford, but in two close games against western conference foes, his lack of a big finish has at least partly been to blame.
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Marcus Smart. Perhaps the Cs should think about painting the Thunder logo on the court at the Garden– Marcus loves playing back home in Oklahoma. He needs to continue to play with the confidence to drive into the defense. Unlike Isaiah, he can see around defenders easily to make the right pass once he draws defenders in.
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I don’t actually think Isaiah was in a radio station tonight, but the key point I’m trying to make is that there was no awesome Isaiah thing, because Isaiah is still hurt. The Cs need him back and they need him soon. They simply cannot score sustainably without him.
THE GRID
The Thunder were 3-21 from beyond the arc
Russell Westbrook finished with 37-12-6. A beast of a stat-line, but one that snapped his triple-double streak.
Marcus Smart: 11 points, 6 rebounds, 9 assists
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