Thunder-Celtics: A June Showdown? Maybe Not So Fast
Look, everyone loves a good Finals preview. The OKC Thunder rolling into TD Garden to face the Boston Celtics on Tuesday night, two teams with the best records in their respective conferences, felt like exactly that. The Celtics, now 59-16, ultimately won 135-100, but the score doesn't tell the whole story of what these teams showed, or didn't show, us. We all want to project June, but sometimes, a regular season game is just a regular season game.
Boston's Offensive Machine
The Celtics are a wagon. We know this. Jayson Tatum dropped 24 points and 7 assists against the Thunder, and Jaylen Brown added 25 points on just 15 shots. Their offensive rating, a staggering 122.9, is the best in NBA history. They shoot threes at an elite clip and defend with ferocity. Kristaps Porzingis, back from injury, chipped in 27 points and 12 boards. This team is deep, talented, and playing with a chip on its shoulder after last year's early exit. They just dismantled the Rockets 129-102 on March 29th and then the Hornets 118-104 on April 1st. They're built for a deep run, absolutely.
But here's the thing: the Thunder were without Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. SGA, averaging 30.3 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 6.3 assists, is the engine that drives OKC. Without him, they're a different team. Rookie Chet Holmgren, who had 11 points and 7 rebounds, looked a little overwhelmed at times against Boston's size. Josh Giddey, with 17 points, tried to pick up the slack, but it wasn't enough. It's tough to gauge a true Finals preview when one team is missing its MVP candidate.
Western Conference Playoff Picture Tightens
The West is a jungle. The Thunder, even with the loss, still sit at 52-23, tied with the Nuggets for the top spot. Denver, after beating the Cavaliers 130-101 on Sunday, has looked incredibly sharp. The Timberwolves are right there too, 51-23. The Clippers, at 48-27, are lurking in fourth, while the Mavericks, winners of 11 of their last 13 games including a 109-95 victory over the Warriors on Tuesday, have climbed to fifth at 45-29.
My hot take? Despite their current standing, the Thunder are not getting out of the Western Conference. They're young, perhaps a year or two away from truly contending. The Nuggets have the championship experience and the MVP in Nikola Jokic. The Wolves have the defense and the grit. OKC's youth is exciting, but it will be exposed in a seven-game series against a seasoned contender. That 135-100 loss to the Celtics? It was a glimpse of what happens when a team with a strong core meets a team that’s still finding its way, even if that team is missing its best player.
Draft Lottery Hopefuls
While the top teams battle, others are looking to the future. The Detroit Pistons, at 13-62, are firmly in the lead for the worst record and the best odds in the draft lottery. They lost to the Grizzlies 110-108 on Monday. The Washington Wizards are next at 15-61 after getting clobbered 130-104 by the Bucks. San Antonio, 18-57, is holding steady in the third spot. For these teams, every loss from here on out is a small victory for their rebuilding efforts. The top three picks could feature some serious talent, and a franchise-altering player is what they're all chasing.
The Thunder-Celtics game was fun, a showcase of two very good teams. But a Finals preview? Not quite. Boston looks every bit the part of a champion. The Thunder? They're close, but they'll need another year, another star, and a lot more playoff reps before they're hoisting the Larry O'Brien trophy.
**Prediction:** The Boston Celtics will win the NBA title this season, and they'll do it by sweeping the Denver Nuggets in the Finals.