When Wednesday’s battle between the Celtics and Thunder tipped off, it was always going to come down to the final 12 minutes. That’s usually how these heavyweight fights go.
Unfortunately for Boston, Oklahoma City outclassed and outworked the defending champs throughout the final frame to push towards a 118-112 win that wasn’t as close as the final score may suggest.
“Regardless of who we play, just focus on the details and the margins and the things that go into winning,” head coach Joe Mazzulla said.
It felt like the Celtics were chasing all night, floating between nine-point deficits before falling behind by as many as twelve midway through the third.