Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) drive to the basket towards Boston Celtics guard Derrick White (9) through 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, they usually did it towards the workforce they might face when the NBA postseason reaches its peak.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 34 and Chet Holmgren added 23 factors and 15 rebounds to steer the Thunder to a 118-112 victory over Boston on Wednesday night time in a much-anticipated potential NBA Finals matchup.
“We’re in March, not June,” Thunder coach Mark Daigneault stated after the Thunder swept the two-game season collection towards the defending champions. “So we’re targeted 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 stated. “Enjoying towards them is all the time enjoyable, it’s all the time a extremely good problem, and one thing that we may check ourselves towards. I suppose we handed the check to this point.”
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 have 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 have been final yr. In the end, that’s all you may ask for,” Gilgeous-Alexander stated. “You place the work in, put the time in … we took steps in the proper path. We bought higher and we, I suppose checked a purpose off the listing a bit of bit sooner than final yr, and now we have much more to do.”
READ: NBA: Thunder high 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 probably the most ever for an NBA workforce in a regulation sport.
“Each sport’s a check,” stated Daigneault, whose workforce was coming off a cut up in back-to-backs towards 2023 NBA champion Denver. “We are able to’t select the opponent, however whenever you play towards elevated groups like this — particularly on the street — it’s an actual alternative to enhance. And so we take these video games severely.
“We need to see what now we have. We need to see what we are able to be taught. We received tonight; we are able to be taught from that. We misplaced the opposite night time; we are able to be taught from that,” he stated. “However, yeah, now we have 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.
Your subscription couldn’t be saved. Please attempt once more.
Your subscription has been profitable.
“Clearly, there’s all the time added juice to the sport taking part in the defending champions. I feel anyone would say that,” Holmgren stated. “However on the finish of the day, it’s one in every of 82. Win or lose, we’re going to attempt to be taught from it, come again subsequent sport and attempt to be higher.”
