Tip-Off: 7 PM CT
Location: TD Garden (Boston, Massachusetts)
Television: TNT, FSOK
Radio: WWLS 98.1FM OKC The Sports Animal
Twitter: Follow @TheThunderGuys for live-tweets during the game
The Oklahoma City Thunder rides a six-game winning streak right into Boston tonight to take on the Celtics, who are stumbling a bit to finish of the regular season. After losing Gordon Hayward on opening night and recovering to have the league’s best record for quite some time, the Celtics have been injury-plagued on and off for much of the season, and tonight’s matchup is no different.
The Thunder continues to maintain fourth place in the Western Conference, but every game matters from this point forward considering how close the standings are. Despite Oklahoma City’s particularly tough schedule to finish out the season, the Thunder has been playing solid basketball lately, and much of that can be attributed to reigning MVP Russell Westbrook.
Sunday’s win over the Toronto Raptors marked Westbrook’s fifth consecutive triple-double, a feat that he accomplished two other times last season when he recorded triple-doubles in seven consecutive games twice. While he hasn’t been quite as impressive this season as last, the Thunder’s success has typically been directly related to the level at which Westbrook produces.
The Celtics are currently comfortably in second place in the East, and even though they are missing several key players due to injury, the Thunder has to take this game seriously and pick up a win. The schedule doesn’t get any easier from here on out, so a victory tonight is a crucial part to finishing the season on a high-note.
Projected Starters
Thunder
- PG: Russell Westbrook
- SG: Corey Brewer
- SF: Paul George
- PF: Carmelo Anthony
- C: Steven Adams
Celtics
- PG: Terry Rozier III
- SG: Jayson Tatum
- SF: Marcus Morris
- PF: Al Horford
- C: Aaron Baynes
Injuries
Thunder
- Andre Roberson (left patellar surgery) is OUT.
Celtics
- Jaylen Brown (concussion Protocol) is OUT.
- Gordon Hayward (left ankle rehab) is OUT.
- Kyrie Irving (left knee soreness) is OUT.
- Marcus Smart (right thumb sprain) is OUT.
- Daniel Theis (left knee meniscal tear) is OUT.
Head-to-Head
- In nine seasons in Oklahoma City, the Thunder is 12-7 against the Celtics (5-5 at home, 7-2 away).
- After losing four of the first five games against the Celtics once arriving in Oklahoma, the Thunder has won 11 of the last 14.
- The Celtics defeated the Thunder 101-94 on November 3 in Oklahoma City.
- The Thunder has won seven of the last eight matchups with the Celtics in Boston.
Game Notes
- Oklahoma City has won six games in a row, while Boston most recently lost to the New Orleans Pelicans.
- Oklahoma City is 8-2 in the last 10 games, while Boston is 6-4.
- Oklahoma City is 18-18 on the road, while Boston is 23-13 at home.
- Oklahoma City is 18-9 against the Eastern Conference, while Boston is 17-8 against the Western Conference.
- Oklahoma City is 25-18 after one day of rest, while Boston is 33-11 after one day of rest.
- With 10 games left in the season, the Thunder is currently fourth in the Western Conference, only 2 games back of third, but also only 2.5 games ahead of eighth.
- Russell Westbrook has recorded a triple-double in the last five games.
Be sure to tune in tonight before the game at 5:30 PM CT for our latest episode of Thunder Things with the Thunder Guys on Facebook Live or listen on the Crossover Radio app, which can be downloaded on the Apple App Store or Google Play Store.
Article written by Zack Low. Follow @TheThunderGuys on Twitter & Instagram, and like us on Facebook.