Jaylen Brown drove left, pump-faked, spun around, and drilled a 19-foot equalizer over Lu Dort, putting the Boston Celtics and Oklahoma City Thunder at a 102-102 tie with 21.9 seconds left in regulation — without Jayson Tatum, Derrick White, and Nikola Vučević.
Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla started the unusual lineup of Brown, Payton Pritchard, Sam Hauser, Neemias Queta, and Baylor Scheierman. That combination has only played together six times this season, for a total of 21 minutes, but the team was
limited in options. It wasn’t the ideal situation going up against the reigning NBA champions and the reigning MVP in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
Yet, somehow, Boston made it work and nearly pulled off the upset in Thursday night’s 104-102 loss.
“Effort was good,” Mazzulla told reporters, per NBC Sports Boston. “It’s effort, toughness, execution. I thought our effort and toughness were great. We played two great teams like that. Obviously, every possession matters, so a couple of possessions didn’t go our way — that’s the difference in the game. I thought we played very well, credit to the guys, and how we have the possessions that we know we have to be better at.”
Early on, it was the bench that elevated the Celtics. Luka Garza and Jordan Walsh battled for second-chance possessions, both at the forefront of a 20-5 headstart advantage in bench points over the Thunder. Hugo González contributed with a go-ahead 3-pointer in the corner, and Boston had found its rhythm despite being shorthanded while facing the league’s best team.
The seamless transition in maintaining their competitive edge came as no surprise to the Celtics. The veterans in the locker room have worked alongside the younger, less experienced crew all season, preparing them for opportunities — including those unforeseen.
Oklahoma City was simply their latest of many challenges.
“We just got some young wolves, man,” Brown told reporters, per NBC Sports Boston. “We play inspired basketball. We come out every night and we compete, regardless of who’s on the floor. We’re not afraid of anybody, and we play together and play as a team. I’m proud of my group. I’m proud of our approach to every game. We came out on the road and we put their game to the test.”
González came up with a huge block in the third quarter, denying a Jaylin Williams 3-point attempt. Scheierman led the team with three offensive rebounds, two of which turned into second-chance baskets. It was another example of Boston’s readiness. Every player on the roster is prepared to step in at any moment to keep the engine running. That has been the theme since Opening Night, when Tatum’s return date was unknown, and the identity of the 2025–26 Celtics was still taking shape.
Pritchard also sees no reason to be surprised.
“We’re not learning anything,” Pritchard told reporters, per NBC Sports Boston. “You guys have already seen it. They come ready to play and play winning basketball. So it’s nothing new. We’re almost through the (regular) season now, so it’s what they do.”
Before the season commenced, team president of basketball operations Brad Stevens labeled most of the roster’s newcomers as “unprovens.” Comprised of minimally experienced arrivals, the offseason overhaul posed a mammoth challenge alongside Tatum’s recovery from his ruptured right Achilles tendon. The challenge was to maintain their standard as if Kristaps Porziņģis, Jrue Holiday, Al Horford, and Luke Kornet had never left and to compete with the league’s best while carving their place among that elite company.
Thursday night’s trip to Oklahoma City was proof that Boston has rendered that image in detail.
In San Antonio, the Celtics nearly overcame a 39-point double-double from Victor Wembanyama. Against the Thunder, they came even closer to overcoming Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s history-making 35-point performance, as he surpassed Wilt Chamberlain for the most regular-season games with 20-plus points, recording his 127th against Boston.
“He’s obviously a great player,” Mazzulla told reporters. “So you have to pick your poison and what you’re going to take away. He only shot eight free throws, so that’s a part of that. We took away some of the transition stuff — a couple of layups that we could’ve been better at in our shifts. So it just goes back to those possessions we can get better at, and the ones where you know you don’t have to change your spots.”
It’s hard to feel good about a winless two-game road trip, yet somehow, the Celtics did enough to earn it — even if they won’t admit it.
