The Oklahoma City Thunder secured a playoff spot on Wednesday night. However, thier sights are set on a bigger goal – winning the franchise’s first NBA championship. Guard Shai Gilgeous-alexander emphasized the significance of beating the defending champion Boston Celtics to clinch the playoff berth.
Gilgeous-Alexander led the Thunder to victory with an extraordinary performance, scoring 34 points along with 7 assists and 5 rebounds. He highlighted that facing teams like Boston is crucial as they have achieved what Oklahoma City aims for in late June.
Despite missing key players like Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams,Oklahoma City managed to defeat Boston in both encounters this season.The Celtics struggled from beyond the arc but excelled inside it during their latest matchup.
Boston coach Joe Mazzulla acknowledged that his team got good looks but failed to convert them efficiently due to Oklahoma City’s defensive efforts. The Thunder stuck to their game plan throughout despite ups and downs during the game.
Holmgren played a important role in filling Williams’ absence by delivering an outstanding performance.Gilgeous-alexander praised Holmgren’s contribution and expects him to improve further as he gets more cozy post-injury.
While Jayson Tatum shined for Boston with 33 points, Jaylen Brown struggled offensively against Oklahoma City’s defense. brown admitted that he needed to be more physical in his approach after finishing with just 10 points before fouling out.Both teams recognized areas of improvement following their matchup, emphasizing attention to detail to compete at a higher level moving forward towards achieving their respective goals this season.
