A heavyweight battle between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Boston Celtics ended in a 105-92 victory for the home team. This win extended OKC’s winning streak to 15 games.

There is a short list of teams at the top of the NBA that seem capable of competing with OKC, and Boston is one of them. This was evident early on as the Celtics took an early lead. Guard Jaylen Brown had a hot first half, finishing with 21 points on 8-for-12 shooting.

The duo of Brown and star forward Jayson Tatum were, as usual, effective throughout the game. Although the team only scored 32 of 65 points in the first half, the second half would be a different story.

The identity of both teams revolves around their ability to defend, which came to light late in the game, as well as their overall nature. The thunder

A back-and-forth first quarter kept the game within reach for Oklahoma City. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Boston duo exchanged baskets, leaving the Thunder behind 35-32 at the end of the quarter. However, Boston pulled away at the end of the second half and led 65-55 at the end of the first half.

For the second straight game, guard Aaron Wiggins logged valuable minutes and was a big scorer in return for Oklahoma City. He finished the first half with 10 points and finished with 15 when the buzzer sounded.

Boston’s defense matched the Thunder perfectly in this contest, effectively limiting everyone except Gilgeous-Alexander. Jalen Williams struggled to block shots and finished the game with just 10 points. Despite the difficulties of others, Gilgeous-Alexander still found his opportunities. He saw defensive looks from Derrick White and Jrue Holiday, but Gilgeous-Alexander still managed to produce his usual scoring output.

The high defensive intensity and physicality on this side made it a challenge for both teams to hit shots from distance. OKC shot 16:38 from the perimeter and Boston shot 9:46. OKC has struggled with perimeter shooting all season, but the Celtics have been slightly better all season. OKC increased its perimeter efficiency in the fourth quarter, but on the other hand, Boston struggled until the end of the game.

Closing the gap in the third quarter would be crucial for the Thunder to give themselves a better chance to take the lead in the fourth quarter, which made Boston a challenge. The Celtics’ lead was around 10 points for most of the third quarter, so Oklahoma City was unable to generate any runs or momentum until the end of the quarter.

A run late in the third quarter was initiated by a corner triple from guard Lu Dort, followed by a late layup from Gilgeous-Alexander after a series of offensive rebounds. A turnover from Al Horford soon after would lead to a quick layup from Wiggins. Tatum finished the game with two technical foul free throws and a mid-range shot from Kristaps Porzingis, giving the Celtics an 80-76 lead heading into the fourth quarter.

OKC got off to a fast start in the fourth quarter and immediately took the lead. None of the first nine points the Thunder scored to put them ahead of Boston were scored by Gilgeous-Alexander, which was not the case at any other time. Cason Wallace scored four goals in a row and Williams finally made it to the free throw line.

The Thunder continued their run thanks to Gilgeous-Alexander and a suffocating defense, led by a contested step-back triple from the OKC star. A sequence involving a Gilgeous Alexander block on Tatum and a dunk from Isaiah Hartenstein extended the Thunder’s lead and provided much-needed momentum.

Gilgeous-Alexander played the role of a superstar against Boston, posting 33 points, 11 rebounds and six assists on 11-for-23 shooting. His defense also matched the intensity that the Thunder brought.

OKC had to hold off the Celtics until the final whistle, but the perimeter eventually became its friend. Three three-pointers from Dort in the final two and a half minutes sealed the deal and Dort finished the game with 14 points.

The Thunder have another tough battle ahead of them in their next game as they face the Cleveland Cavaliers on the road on January 8th at 6:00 pm CT.

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