Bossed
The surprise, I have to conclude, is not so much that the Celtics have won 16 of 20 games, but that they somehow managed to lose four; they dominated and then some tonight, dispatching the Thunder 105-87 with seeming ease.
Telling statistic: both teams put up 17 three-point shots, but Boston connected on 9, OKC making only 3. (A difference of, um, 18 points.) Then again, it wasn’t just the long ball: the Celtics outrebounded the Thunder, 40-30, and moved the ball like crazy, recording 24 assists, versus 11 dimes from OKC. All five Boston starters, plus two reserves, landed in double figures; the Thunder managed only two, though Kevin Durant had a stirring 36 points. With Nenad Krstić sidelined again, Nick Collison started in the middle, but got into foul trouble quickly. And when the starters all disappeared halfway through the fourth quarter, we got to see Shaun Livingston again: he didn’t put up a shot, but did retrieve a couple of rebounds.
Meanwhile, Kevin Garnett missed exactly one shot all night, out of 11, racking up 23 points in less than 26 minutes. It was this sort of ruthless efficiency, both with the ball and defending, that got the Celtics off to an 11-point lead in the first quarter, which held up through halftime and then widened.
Through four games of this homestand, the Weather Phenomena are 2-2; the finale comes Monday against the Warriors. If they’re going to have a chance, they’re going to have to hit a whole lot of treys.
