The Boston Celtics led for nearly the entire game but ultimately lost a heartbreaker to the Oklahoma City Thunder by a score of 99-96 on Sunday night.
Russell Westbrook’s triple-double streak finally came to an end, but the Thunder star posted game high’s in points and rebounds with 37 and 12, respectively.
All-Star guard Isaiah Thomas was absent for the third straight game for the C’s, but Marcus Smart provided a quality performance as the starting point guard with 11 points, nine assists, and six rebounds. Al Horford led the Celtics with 19 points, while Avery Bradley and Jae Crowder each provided 18.
Here’s how it all went down.
STARTING FIVE
PG: Marcus Smart
SG: Avery Bradley
SF: Jae Crowder
PF: Amir Johnson
C: Al Horford
SLOW START
It was a relatively quiet first half, with the Celtics holding a 43-39 lead going into the break. Both teams showcased average first-half shooting performances, as the C’s shot just 19 of 44 from the field, while the Thunder went 19 of 46. The Celtics defense proved to be troublesome for the Thunder, as Oklahoma City turned the ball over nine times in the first half. As expected, Westbrook led all first-half scorers with 14 points, while Crowder led the Celtics with 12.
BACK AND FORTH
The back and forth affair continued into the third quarter, as the Celtics held a 71-67 lead going into the fourth. The C’s stretched their lead to as large as 12, but the Thunder stayed the course behind Westbrook’s 10 third-quarter points. Horford led all Celtics scorers with eight points in the third quarter, while Bradley provided seven. Oklahoma City dominated the glass in the third quarter, outrebounding Boston 16-8.
FINAL STRETCH
With the game tied at 94-94 and just over 30 seconds left, Horford gave up a costly turnover which led to the go-ahead basket from Westbrook. A Bradley layup miss followed by a Jerami Grant drunk stretched Oklahoma City’s lead to 98-94 with 14 seconds remaining. Smart kept the C’s alive with a runner on the next possession, but the team was forced to foul in hopes of keeping the game alive. After Westbrook only converted one of two free throws, the Celtics had a chance to tie with a 3-pointer, but a Smart attempt from behind the arc rimmed out.
PLAY OF THE GAME
With the game tied, Westbrook gave the Thunder the lead with only 30 seconds remaining.
UP NEXT
The C’s will try to end their two-game skid on the road against the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday night. Tip-off is set for 9:30 p.m. ET
Thumbnail photo via Mark D. Smith/USA TODAY Sports Images