The Celtics’ game against the Thunder was a tale of two halves. We started strong but fell apart in the second half, especially in the fourth quarter. It’s easy to blame the loss on poor three-point shooting - we went 9 for 46 from beyond the arc. But that’s not the whole story.
Let’s break it down. In the first half, we dominated inside, scoring 38 points in the paint. The Thunder’s strategy was to guard the perimeter, so we took advantage and attacked the rim. But in the second half, OKC flipped the script. They packed the paint and played some zone, forcing us to face two or three defenders every time we drove.
Now, here’s where things get interesting. A lot of folks are saying we abandoned driving and just started chucking threes. That’s not accurate. We actually tried to keep driving, but OKC’s defense was so good, we couldn’t finish at the rim.
I spent hours breaking down the fourth quarter, and here’s what I found: out of 11 three-point attempts, only one was a truly bad shot. The problem wasn’t the threes - it was the drives. Jaylen and Jayson kept trying to force their way to the rim against multiple defenders instead of kicking it out to open shooters.
Our spacing was off too. Joe Mazzulla looked pained talking about it post-game. When we drive, everyone needs to be in their spots so the ball-handler can make the right read. That wasn’t happening in the second half.
Fatigue might have played a role - it was our third game in four days. But we’ve got to make better decisions, especially late in games.
On the bright side, our defense was solid. We held OKC to 23 points in the second quarter and 21 in the third. Even in the fourth, we were doing okay until the last couple of minutes.
The real killer? Turnovers. We had seven in the fourth quarter that led to 13 Thunder points. That’s the difference right there.
Look, this loss stings, but it’s an aberration. We’re not going to see Jaylen, Derrick, Jrue, Payton, and Sam all go scoreless in a half very often. It was just one of those nights.
For more insights and a deeper dive into this game, tune into the Locked On Celtics podcast for this and much more.
Other Topics in Today’s Locked On Celtics Podcast:
• First half standouts: Jaylen Brown and Kristaps Porzingis
• The impact of OKC’s physicality in the second half
• Payton Pritchard’s struggles against OKC’s size and length
