Boston – It was the reigning champions wanted. The Oklahoma City Thunder tightened the Boston Celtics visiting a victory in January, and in his defense of the title, Boston had not yet lost a series of season against another competitor.
Except that OKC did it again on Wednesday, taking advantage of an 8-0 race halfway through the fourth quarter to create a separation in what had been a big match between two major teams to this point. The Thunder won the 118-112 prize Showing a level of maturity that deny their youth, the very meaning you need to win a championship.
But Oklahoma City coach Mark Daigneuult didn’t want his team to stand up.
“It’s March,” he said, “not June.”
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The superstar of the Thunder Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the favorite of the NBA MVP, which collected its usual 34 points, seven assists and five rebounds, was a little more willing to entertain this as a declaration victory.
“Because they have done what we are trying to do, the matches against them will always be a little more increased and exciting,” he said. “They have done what we are trying to do, and there is no better test in the NBA. We are playing for the end of June, and they are the team that won, so play against them is … Something we have to test ourselves, and I suppose we have passed the two tests so far.”
Oklahoma City was without his second All-Star, Jalen Williams, while he was breastfeeding hip, but Chet Holmgren, who missed three months, entered this secondary role. Its 23 points, 15 rebounds and the protection of the incessant rim have wreaked havoc in the absence of Kristaps Porzingis de Boston.
Boston was also without co-star, Jaylen Brown, although he played. Brown scored 10 points on 15 shots and made a fault in 38 minutes. He refused to blame the problem of the right knee which has cost him four games in recent weeks, rather crediting those who deserved him: the relentless defense of Cason Wallace and OKC.
“The more difficult team establishes the rules,” said Brown. “I have not reached their level of physicity.”
The Celtics as a whole did not reach the level of physicity of the Thunder. They did not shoot in 2 points in the first quarter, when 20 of their 22 attempts came 3. Their 35 35 mi-me-time were a record, and they finished 20 of the 63 (32%) remotely. These are the plans they could find. Even if their creators could get around Wallace and Lu sleeps on the perimeter, Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein were waiting in the middle.
This is a problem for the Celtics if these two teams meet in June. Few opponents can claim to be a match problem for Boston, but Oklahoma City can do it after having the fourth quarter during the two meetings.
The Celtics patinated in the championship last season in large part without Porzingis, which missed the last six games of this season to an unidentified viral infection. They will need him to defend their championship – against the Cleveland riders, before they have the chance to meet OKC again – and Boston knows it.
“We will feel much better when we have everyone,” said Jayson Tatum, including 33 points, eight rebounds and eight assists kept Boston in the match on Wednesday. “I can’t wait to have our full power team for this last section. We will refine certain things and prepare for the fun part of all this.”
It would be the playoffs, while the Celtics will remain the champions until someone eliminates them. They have already done so, so believe that they can start again. Tonnerre cannot say as much.
But they said everything they needed on Wednesday. When asked what separated the Celtics from the peloton last season, Gilgeous-Alexander could also have talked about the mentality of his own team in Boston.
“They do not start or move,” he said. “When you play against them, they are confident and they know what they are trying to accomplish at both ends of the ground, and they do it at a high level. I think that is what makes them so good. That the ball enters or leaves for them does not dissuade the way they play.”
In fact, Tatum said the same thing.
“They play in the right direction,” he said. “They know what they want to do at both ends. It was a high level.”
The only blow against the Thunder of the Western Conference is now the fact that they have not reached a team conference final. They lost in the second round last season in the Dallas Mavericks last season.
“We have improved that we were last year,” said Gilgeous-Alexander, of which Thunder (54-12) won a place in the playoffs on Wednesday.
“I think we had a few new guys who made our team much better,” added Holmgren, “but I also think that all those who came back distinguished the tail this summer and came back even better.”
Frightening thought. If balance and maturity are the only criticisms that remain to launch the Thunder, it was as if Daigneault knew it and wanted us to know: this game this night showed that his team had both.
“It was an effort of 48 minutes,” said the native of Massachusetts, 40. “It was a difficult match to win. The (Celtics) continue to come. They shoot 3s, so that they could quickly cut the slopes. There have been a lot of changes of the head, and I just thought that the balance of our team and discipline and competitiveness were exposed this evening.”
And if it is again in June, Brown ATTE: “We will be ready.”
The reigning champions have work to do. Thunder clearly indicated that.
