Tip-Off: 7 PM CT
Location: Paycom Center (Oklahoma City, Oklahoma)
Television: Bally Sports Oklahoma
Radio: WWLS 98.1FM OKC The Sports Animal
Twitter: Follow @ZacharyLowNBA for live-tweets and discussion during the game
The Oklahoma City Thunder is back at home tonight after going 0-3 on a 5-day road trip which featured close losses in San Antonio and Orlando. Tonight the Thunder hosts the Boston Celtics, one of the league’s hottest teams at the moment.
Winners of 19 of their last 22 games, the Celtics have surged to 4th in the Eastern Conference standings after a sluggish start to the season. For years now, Boston has been on the cusp of greatness, but they have never been able to make the leap. Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown are hoping to re-write that narrative, however, and with just a few weeks left in the regular season, Boston has a good shot at moving all the way up to second in the East.
Tonight’s matchup will be a tough one for the Thunder, especially considering how shortened the roster is. The Celtics have a lot of weapons, and covering all of them will be a difficult task. Fortunately for OKC, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander should be able to play after resting a sore ankle last night.
Projected Starters
Thunder
- PG: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
- SG: Tre Mann
- SF: Aaron Wiggins
- PF: Darius Bazley
- C: Isaiah Roby
Celtics
- PG: Derrick White
- SG: Jaylen Brown
- SF: Jayson Tatum
- PF: Al Horford
- C: Daniel Theis
Injuries
Thunder
- Luguentz Dort is OUT (left shoulder surgery).
- Derrick Favors is OUT (lower back soreness).
- Josh Giddey is OUT (right hip soreness).
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is QUESTIONABLE (right ankle soreness).
- Ty Jerome is OUT (sports hernia surgery).
- Mike Muscala is OUT (right ankle surgery).
- Jeremiah Robinson-Earl is OUT (third metatarsal fracture in right foot).
- Kenrich Williams is OUT (sprained left knee).
Celtics
- Aaron Nesmith is QUESTIONABLE (sprained right ankle).
- Matt Ryan is OUT (G League — Two-Way)
- Marcus Smart is OUT (non-COVID illness).
- Robert Williams III is OUT (right knee tendinopathy).
Head-to-Head
- Since arriving in Oklahoma City in 2008, the Thunder is 14-13 against the Celtics (5-8 at home, 9-5 on the road).
- The Thunder has won the season series with the Celtics 4 times, lost it 3 times, and tied 6 times.
- The Thunder went 1-1 against the Celtics last season (0-1 at home, 1-0 on the road).
- The Thunder is 0-1 against the Celtics so far this season (0-0 at home, 0-1 on the road).