Thunder officially clinch playoff spot with gritty road win over Celtics

The highly anticipated showdown between the Thunder and Celtics undoubtedly lived up to its billing, with Oklahoma holding on for a thriller of 118-112 road win.

And now it’s official — the Thunder have clinched a top-six spot in the Western Conference. Not that there was ever any doubt. But this game was just the latest example as to why they have the best record (54-12) in all the West.

They still trail the Cavaliers (55-10) for the NBA’s best overall record.

Anyway, with Oklahoma City missing its secondary scorer, Jalen Williams, it was clear that others would need to step up. It wasn’t just one player who answered the call — six Thunder players, aside from leading scorer Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, scored in double figures to help propel their team to victory.

“We have All-Star role players,” Gilgeous-Alexander told ESPN.

The Thunder came out firing, quickly jumping to a 9-0 lead, with wing Lu Dort accounting for the team’s first five points. It took the Celtics (47-19) about three minutes to find their rhythm, but once they did, the game quickly became a competitive, high-paced affair.

The Celtics looked to diversify their scoring beyond stars Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, with defensive-minded guard Derrick White leading the charge early. White knocked down 10 points in the first quarter, all from beyond the arc, as he shot 3-for-4 from deep.

Boston’s game plan centered on the perimeter, as evidenced by their 22 three-point attempts in the first quarter. The Celtics finished with 63 attempts, making 20 for a 31.7% shooting clip. In contrast, the Thunder were more efficient inside, hitting 13-of-37 from beyond the arc, showing a clear difference in approach.

Despite facing size disadvantages, particularly against Boston’s 7-foot-1 center Luke Kornet, the Thunder’s guard-heavy attack — led by Gilgeous-Alexander — focused on attacking the rim. Gilgeous-Alexander’s second-year teammate, Cason Wallace, was also effective in the paint, taking advantage of matchups with Kornet while Gilgeous-Alexander rested.

As the second quarter progressed, Oklahoma City’s double big-man alignment featuring Isaiah Hartenstein and Chet Holmgren began to find success. Holmgren finished with 23 points on 8-for-14 shooting, but the real impact was the defensive presence and floor spacing provided by the duo.

Gilgeous-Alexander was relatively quiet in the first half with 16 points, four of which came from the free-throw line. Tatum led Boston with 18, but Brown struggled, scoring only two points. As a result, the Thunder took a slim 63-60 lead into the break.

The second half saw both stars find their rhythm. Gilgeous-Alexander continued to chip away at his total, relying heavily on free throws as defenders like Brown pushed him out of his mid-range comfort zone. But it was at the 7:55 mark of the third quarter when Gilgeous-Alexander hit another gear, making crucial plays.

Tatum did the same for Boston, taking on Holmgren with aggressive drives to the rim and knocking down stepback jumpers. Both players made their presence felt in a game that seemed to swing back and forth.

As the game progressed, both stars continued to shine, with Gilgeous-Alexander finishing with 34 points on 11-for-20 shooting and Tatum not far behind with 33 points on 12-for-23 shooting. Both players hit key shots down the stretch to keep their teams in the hunt.

The intensity of the battle carried over into the final quarter, which began with the score tied at 88. The fourth period saw the Celtics continuously respond to Oklahoma City’s runs, but the Thunder ultimately pulled away.

Throughout the game, one constant remained: Boston’s relentless volume of three-point attempts. Even when the shots weren’t falling, the Celtics stayed committed to the outside shot, perhaps to their own detriment as they finished with a low shooting percentage from deep.