The Oklahoma City Thunder are the first of many difficult challenges for the Boston Celtics in the month of February — arguably the toughest stretch of the season for the Massachusetts franchise.
Like Boston, OKC was viewed early in the 2019-20 season as being in “retool” if not “rebuild” mode after offseason shakeups transformed their respective rosters.
Since then, we have seen both teams go on to defy expectations so much, their unexpected success has been undeniably real. Most of our readers know why that’s the case, but what’s driving the resurgence for the Thunder?
To this end, we reached out to Dorian Craft, editor of our sister site Thunder Wire, to give us the lowdown on all things OKC ahead of Boston’s visit to Chesapeake Arena, which tips off at 3:30pm ET.
What should Boston Celtics fans know about the Oklahoma City Thunder’s’ season so far?
First and foremost, this is a team that never feels out of a game, regardless of what the score is. The Thunder have had multiple games this season where they have come back from double-digit deficits in the second half, so when playing against OKC, no lead is safe.
Since embracing their three point guard rotation in mid-December, the Thunder are 21-6. Part of what has made them so successful is their balanced scoring attack. In their 108-101 win over Detroit on Friday night, there were five guys in double-digits. Those are the same five guys who are capable of going for 20-plus each and every night, and two of them, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Dennis Schroder, can easily go for 30.
So it’s pick your poison when it comes to defending the Thunder. Decide to try and stop SGA or Schroder, and they’ll likely kick it out to Danilo Gallinari, a stretch-four scoring threat whose accuracy from the outside is a big reason Sam Presti decided to hold to him at the trade deadline.
What will it take for each team to win?
Oklahoma City will need to get off to a fast start if they want to stay competitive against one of the league’s hottest teams. Slow starts plagued the team in January, but the Thunder’s ability to lock down defensively in the second half allowed them to overcome some sluggish first quarters.
OKC will also need to shoot the ball well from the perimeter. In their two wins this week, the Thunder have made just 28.1% of their attempts from beyond the arc.
To compensate, Oklahoma City excelled at getting to the line. They shot 30 free-throw attempts in Friday’s win over the Pistons, second in the league that night for free-throw attempts. Against Phoenix and Detroit, the Thunder went to the line twice as many times as their opponent.
The Thunder is a team that is playing with a lot of confidence right now. They went through a brutal 17-game in 30 days schedule in January, coming out of that stretch 12-5 and starting February with a win.
What else should we know about OKC?
This is a team that is playing with a lot of confidence. A grueling January saw OKC play a grueling 17-game in 30 day schedule, with the Thunder going 12-5 over that stretch. They’ve won their two games in the month of February and are currently on a four-game winning streak..
If it comes down to the wire in the fourth, the Thunder are the most clutch team in the league this year. They started the season 4-8 in games decided by 10 points or less, but since November, OKC has flipped the script, going 17-8 in those games.
Oklahoma City has already surpassed their projected win total of 31.5 games, picking up number 32 on Friday. They’re in sixth in the Western Conference and playing with a sense of nothing to lose.
TODAY ☘️ Celtics at @okcthunder
📍@ChesapeakeArena
⏰ 3:30PM EST
📺@NBCSBoston
🎙@985TheSportsHub#BleedGreen pic.twitter.com/gpLhsbKyOU— Boston Celtics (@celtics) February 9, 2020
The Thunder have been surprisingly healthy recently for a team in the middle of an NBA season, with only guard Andre Roberson (knee) questionable for the contest.
Boston, on the other hand, is only just starting to drift back towards health after a spate of injuries so deep, it took the Celtics Twitter account multiple tweets just to list all the players on the injury report.
For this game, things are definitely looking better, but Boston will still be without second-year center Robert Williams III (hip), and both Jaylen Brown (ankle) and Daniel Theis (ankle) are questionable for the contest.
All-Star starter Kemba Walker (knee) and forward Gordon Hayward are both probable.
The match is likely going to be a close one, with Boston a slight favorite. This view is shared by most online sportsbooks, who grant the Celtics a +1 spread.
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