Thunder vs Celtics: Pregame Primer
vs.
Celtics (30-36, 12-20 road) vs. Thunder (37-30, 23-9 home)
TV: FS Oklahoma
Stream: Click here
Radio: WWLS The Sports Animal (98.1 FM, 640 AM, 1300 AM The Buzz Tulsa)
Time: 7:00 CT
Offensive Rating: Thunder – 106.6 (12th), Celtics – 104.1 (19th)
Defensive Rating: Thunder – 103.9 (11th), Celtics – 104.9 (13th)
Hashtag, trap game.
The Thunder host the Atlanta Hawks on Friday night and there’s a possibility Kevin Durant is back for it, but before we get to that OKC needs to take care of business at home tonight against the Boston Celtics. The Celtics come in winners of five straight and 7 of their last 8 games.
This has the potential to be a game OKC overlooks, and in the past, one they could have afforded to, but with the playoffs just weeks away and no guaranteed ticket to the dance the Thunder has to come out swinging tonight.
3 Big Things
1. Life without Serge
The Thunder will be without Serge for at least the next month — most likely through the rest of the regular season — which leaves a massive hole on defense around the rim. Ibaka has always been able to wipe away, literally, so many mistakes made by perimeter defenders with his shot blocking. Kanter obviously doesn’t provide the same presence, so closing out to shooters and rotating to swing men become that much more difficult.
Rebounding isn’t where the Thunder will miss Serge, and it’s possible the Thunder don’t feel Serge’s absence nearly as much on the offensive end as some might expect. That’s just how deep this frontline is, but it’s also flawed defensively. We all saw what happened to the Thunder in games 1 and 2 of the WCF’s when Ibaka was out. It’s going to take some tricky scheme work and a ton of effort to make up for what Serge brings defensively.
2. Turnovers
Possessions are the basic form of currency in basketball. It’s up to each team the amount of value they get out of each possession — some are much better than others. The Thunder’s turnovers over the last few games has made it so much tougher late in games than it has to be. Westbrook has registered 38 turnovers in the last five games alone. The jumping without a plan, and the barreling into help defenders for no reason, those are the types of turnovers that are super avoidable with a little more patience.
Brooks on the TO’s:
“Thirty points off of our turnovers did not help our cause. We have to do a better job taking care of the basketball.”
Boston is scoring an average of 20.3 points off turnovers since the all-star break — one of the league’s best marks over that time.
Westbrook will see Avery Bradley and some of Marcus Smart tonight. Both aggressive defenders that will try and make Westbrook’s life difficult. Bradley is averaging 15.8 points over the last four games while the team has been without Isaiah Thomas who remains out with a bruised lower back.
3. Pace.
The Thunder, even without Durant and Ibaka, has the athletes to run away with this game at home. It all starts with Westbrook. If he can get out in transition and find running bigs, and open shooters this thing could get out of hand in a hurry, the Thunder is just that deep and that talented. But this Celtics squad is playing with a ton of confidence and making one heck of a playoff push themselves.
Monday’s COTN: “If any of you were as bad at your job as those refs tonight, you’d either be fired or a member of Congress.” – @OKCDC
Tip at 7:00 CT. Go recover.
