#1 – Numbers game and small margin
The Celtics made more shots, more triples, and had more assists than the Oklahoma City Thunder, and lost by six. The Thunder were able to get away with the win thanks to their ability to get to the free-throw line. While there will be debates about the officiating, there is a lesson to learn from this game.
The Thunder came to Boston to play physically, and there were a few moments when the Celtics weren’t ready for it. Because of these lapses in intensity, OKC was able to take the upper hand and punish the Celtics at the line. The constant cuts and the ability to continuously drive put the Celtics’ players in rotation and broke their defensive shell, leading to fouls.
Joe Mazzulla on if his team was ready for Oklahoma City’s physicality:
“I thought there were a lot of moments where we matched that, and then there were a few where we didn’t. I think stuff like that is the difference in the game.” pic.twitter.com/vIrFuuzzVO
— Justin Turpin (@JustinmTurpin) March 13, 2025
Some fouls could have been avoided, and some were maybe questionable, but OKC dominated the numbers game and the small margins with their aggressiveness. Jaylen Brown admitted he lacked physicality, which led to him shooting no free throws. With both Joe Mazzulla and Brown acknowledging a lack of physical engagement, which contributed to the gap in efficiency, the focus should be on OKC’s physical preparation rather than the officiating.
The Oklahoma City Thunder winning that game despite making fewer shots is a great reminder that free throws are the most efficient way to score points.
#2 – Jayson Tatum pick-and-roll scoring
Watching Jayson Tatum continue to improve on such a simple yet impactful play is a joy. The Celtics’ go-to guy keeps finding different ways to score and create from this action. When Horford was the screener, the Thunder preferred to switch to take away the pick-and-pop option. When that happened, Tatum was happy to cross and score over (or around?) Chet Holmgren.
When OKC switched to a 2-3 zone defense, Tatum was able to generate an open three thanks to another ball screen. Pull-up threes are tough for a zone defense because if a second defender is sent to cover the screen, there will be a gap to exploit. If they don’t send help, there’s an open three off the dribble.
A great sign of Tatum’s improvement in the pick-and-roll is his ability to split coverages. In the play below, Chet Holmgren steps up to contain a potential pull-up or drive, but Tatum’s tight handle allows him to split the defense between Holmgren and Lu Dort. This breaks the defensive shell, giving him a clear path to the rim.
With Luke Kornet as the screener, the same approach works. Notice that Hartenstein is a bit lower on the screen, and his body language suggests he expects Tatum to go left. Yet, Tatum recognizes Hartenstein’s hip and foot orientation and crosses over to his right. Once he’s gone, there’s no slowing him down at the rim.
Because of his scoring gravity, defenses sometimes adapt—or overreact—which leads to the second chapter of Tatum’s pick-and-roll masterclass.
#3 – Jayson Tatum pick-and-roll playmaking
On this first play, as Tatum receives the ball, Al Horford sprints from the weak-side corner to set a screen, giving Tatum plenty of space to drive right. The defense collapses completely, leaving two Celtics open for three—Jaylen Brown in the corner and Horford above the break. Tatum finds Horford, which was a wise choice.
Against the zone, Horford’s screen on Aaron Wiggins forces Lu Dort to lean toward the center. Tatum’s gravity, even against a zone, creates space for his teammates, allowing him to find Derrick White open for three on his left.
The Celtics attacked the zone as if it were regular drop coverage. In the five-out set, with all players beyond the three-point line, Horford sets a high ball screen that breaks the first line of the zone. As Wiggins follows Tatum on the drive, Horford is free on the perimeter, and Tatum finds him again with a behind-the-back pass.
Still facing the zone, Tatum uses another great screen from Horford. This time, the angle is different, as Tatum moves from the right side to the middle of the court. This movement generates a slight overhelp, creating another open three for White.
In the next play, Kornet is the screener as OKC continues playing zone. Tatum attacks from the side to the middle again, but this time, since Kornet isn’t a shooting threat, there’s no pick-and-pop option. As Tatum breaks the first line of defense, Hartenstein steps up, allowing Kornet to roll to the rim. Tatum’s smart bounce pass makes it difficult to intercept, leading to an easy layup for Kornet.
Overall, it was an impressive offensive game for the Celtics’ go-to guy—35 points in 41 minutes on 65% true shooting, along with eight assists.
#4 – OKC spacing
Coming into the game, the Celtics were expected to have better spacing, even without Kristaps Porzingis. But last night, it felt different. Despite playing with non-shooters or two centers, the Thunder managed to stretch the Celtics’ defense and break it. With Isaiah Hartenstein as an offensive hub and the other four players moving in space, the Celtics weren’t connected defensively, leading to a lot of layups.
It’s very rare for the Celtics to allow an 80% field goal percentage at the rim. This season, it has only happened five times—three times in October, once on Christmas against the Sixers, and last night. Either OKC secretly has one of the best spacings in the NBA, or the Celtics just had an off-night defensively.
#5 – Derrick White’s defensive game
Despite the team’s defensive struggles, Derrick White once again showed why he deserves to be on the All-Defensive team. With three blocks and two steals, he disrupted the Thunder’s offense. What remains uncanny is his ability to block centers. In the play below, White blocks Holmgren and then nails a transition three-pointer.
As they say, big-time players make big-time plays.
#6 – Jrue Holiday post-up
Like Tatum’s pick-and-roll, Jrue Holiday’s post-up is another weapon the Celtics could utilize more. Holiday can bully most guards in the league, creating defensive breakdowns. If the defense doesn’t help, his strength and touch make him highly efficient near the rim.
And when the defense does help, the Celtics’ ball movement takes over. Holiday can kick the ball to the open shooter, forcing rotations, which eventually lead to another open man—because his post-up has already cracked the defensive shell.
I don’t have the numbers to support this, but there seem to be great things happening when Holiday posts up and kicks it out.
#7 – The Celtics’ first two-pointer didn’t even go through the net
Most discussions focus on the Celtics’ volume of three-point attempts, makes, or misses. There’s not much to add; the quality of shots was mostly good, and Joe Mazzulla was satisfied.
However, it’s remarkable (and quite funny) that their first two-pointer came after 13 minutes (!) and wasn’t even made; it was a goaltend.
#8 – Thunder jump shots
The Celtics didn’t match OKC’s physicality and struggled in rotations, leading to open layups. Yet, they also forced the Thunder into a high volume of jump shots… which they made at an unusually high rate.
The higher the volume of jump shots, the higher the variance. Despite the defensive mistakes highlighted in this article, the Celtics stayed close all game long.
There is learning to be made from this loss but the result shouldn’t leave to a negative analysis this could have ended-up in a win as much as it ended up as a loss. If that goes to the Finals, there will be seven games to decide who is the champion, leaving less space for variance.
#9 – The Celtics need Jaylen Brown to be better
If the Finals are in sight, the 2024 Finals MVP will have to step up on both ends. Brown’s offensive struggles were evident: 10 points in 38 minutes on 33% true shooting might be his lowest of the season.
Opponents are very much aware that Jaylen Brown is able to slow down their offensive star or primary ball handler; they also saw on the scouting report the number of times he gets caught off-ball. Once again, this game is a great opportunity to learn from a tough loss that won’t mean anything once the playoffs start.
#10 – Time to hit the road again
After a seven-game homestand, the Celtics will be back on the road. Eight of their next nine games are away—meaning it’s my turn to fly back home.
These past two weeks have been an amazing experience. Thank you to CelticsBlog and its readers for making it possible.
