The Boston Celtics have consistently been among the best teams in the NBA throughout the 2023-24 NBA regular season. They have been running through their opponents, already going on four winning streaks of 5+ games and six of at least three.
But, their latest six-game winning streak came to a screeching halt on Tuesday night. The Celtics went on the road to face the up-and-coming Oklahoma City Thunder and were handed only their seventh loss of the season.
The Thunder defeated them in a hotly contested game, 127-123. Jayson Tatum and Kristaps Porzingis both had big games for Boston, recording double-doubles. Tatum scored 30 points with 13 rebounds and eight assists while Porzingis poured in a team-high 34 to go along with 10 rebounds, two assists and three blocks.
NBA NEWS & SCORES: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City Thunder, Kristaps Porzingis, Boston Celtics Updates
Alas, that wasn’t enough to put away a Thunder team who was led by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and his game-high 36 points scored. No matter who Celtics’ head coach Joe Mazzulla tasked with matching up against Gilgeous-Alexander, the electrifying guard was able to find success.
While the most recognizable player on the team, the Thunder are more than just Gilgeous-Alexander. Rookie of the Year candidate Chet Holmgren had a solid game, scoring 14 points with three rebounds, seven assists and four blocks.
Josh Giddey stuffed the stat sheet with 23 points to go along with eight rebounds and six assists while Jalen Williams scored 16 points with one rebound, one assist, three steals and two blocks. The impressive showing by the youngsters drew some praise from Porzingis, who was very complimentary of the Thunder following the loss.
“That’s a talented young team, and I don’t believe this was some fluke game for them,” Celtics center Kristaps Porzingis said after his 34-point, 10-rebound performance wasn’t enough to prevent Boston’s six-game winning streak from being snapped. “They’ve been playing really well. They’re at the top of the West, no? So a really good team to go up against and a really good experience for us.”
NBA NEWS & SCORES: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City Thunder, Kristaps Porzingis, Boston Celtics Updates
Some NBA analysts believe that the Thunder’s hot start is not sustainable, citing the youthfulness of their roster. However, this is a team that has a great mix of high-end young talent that looks like they are ahead of schedule and ready to contend right away.
Every challenge the Thunder have been faced with they have overcome. This is a team that looks like it will be a sustainable winner for years to come with only one player on the roster being older than 29 and not a single rotation player in their 30s.
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