Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) drive to the basket in opposition to Boston Celtics guard Derrick White (9) throughout the first half of an NBA basketball sport, Wednesday, March 12, 2025, in Boston. (AP Picture/Charles Krupa)
BOSTON — The Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder clinched a spot within the playoffs, and so they did it in opposition to the workforce they may face when the NBA postseason reaches its peak.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 34 and Chet Holmgren added 23 factors and 15 rebounds to guide the Thunder to a 118-112 victory over Boston on Wednesday evening in a much-anticipated potential NBA Finals matchup.
“We’re in March, not June,” Thunder coach Mark Daigneault mentioned after the Thunder swept the two-game season sequence in opposition to the defending champions. “So we’re centered on March.”
READ: NBA: Thunder draw back from Celtics in conflict of title contenders
The Thunder additionally beat the Celtics in Oklahoma Metropolis on Jan. 5 in a sport that Holmgren missed with an harm.
In the event that they meet once more this season, it must be within the NBA Finals.
“They’ve achieved what we’re attempting to perform, and there’s no higher check than that within the NBA,” Gilgeous-Alexander mentioned. “Taking part in in opposition to them is all the time enjoyable, it’s all the time a extremely good problem, and one thing that we might check ourselves in opposition to. I assume we handed the check thus far.”
Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder ahead Chet Holmgren (7) celebrates with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, proper, after defeating the Boston Celtics following an NBA basketball sport, Wednesday, March 12, 2025, in Boston. (AP Picture/Charles Krupa)
The Thunder had been the second NBA workforce to clinch a playoff berth this season; Cleveland, which is one win higher, earned its spot on Friday. Final yr, the Thunder clinched a spot within the postseason on March 31.
“It means we bought higher than we had been final yr. Finally, that’s all you may ask for,” Gilgeous-Alexander mentioned. “You set the work in, put the time in … we took steps in the proper path. We bought higher and we, I assume checked a objective off the record a little bit bit sooner than final yr, and we’ve much more to do.”
READ: NBA: Thunder prime Celtics for franchise-record fifteenth straight win
The Celtics, who rode their 3-point capturing to an unprecedented 18th NBA championship final season, set a franchise report with 63 3-point makes an attempt on Wednesday. It tied essentially the most ever for an NBA workforce in a regulation sport.
“Each sport’s a check,” mentioned Daigneault, whose workforce was coming off a break up in back-to-backs in opposition to 2023 NBA champion Denver. “We are able to’t select the opponent, however while you play in opposition to elevated groups like this — particularly on the street — it’s an actual alternative to enhance. And so we take these video games significantly.
“We need to see what we’ve. We need to see what we are able to study. We gained tonight; we are able to study from that. We misplaced the opposite evening; we are able to study from that,” he mentioned. “However, yeah, we’ve to squeeze all of the juice out of all these video games that we are able to.”
Jayson Tatum scored 33 factors for Boston, together with a 3-point play on the finish of the third quarter that erased the remnants of a 12-point Thunder lead and tied the sport 88-all. The Celtics went 3 for 14 from 3-point vary from there, whereas Gilgeous-Alexander and Cason Wallace scored eight factors apiece within the fourth quarter.
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“Clearly, there’s all the time added juice to the sport enjoying the defending champions. I believe anyone would say that,” Holmgren mentioned. “However on the finish of the day, it’s one among 82. Win or lose, we’re going to attempt to study from it, come again subsequent sport and attempt to be higher.”