Even with MVP candidate Shai Gilgeous-Alexander out of the lineup, the Celtics didn’t expect Wednesday’s matchup to be easy. The first game back home after a long road trip can be notoriously difficult, and they know Oklahoma City coach Mark Daigneault doesn’t have his team atop the Western Conference solely because of one player.
For three quarters, the Thunder tested the margins Joe Mazzulla expected, and challenged the Celtics physically. But then the fourth quarter, and once again the Celtics showed they have far superior firepower.
The Celtics were certainly not sharp most of the night, they were sloppy at times, but like they have time and time again, they have an ability more than any team in the league to shed those imperfections. When they need to, they can flip a switch in a hurry. Fueled by a dominant fourth quarter, the Celtics pulled away for a 135-100 victory over the Thunder.
Kristaps Porzingis scored 27 points on 11-for-14 shooting as he continued to punish easy mismatches, with 12 rebounds and five blocks, and Jaylen Brown overcame a slow start to score 23 points, including 15 in the fourth quarter, as the Celtics clinched the No. 1 seed in the NBA, guaranteeing them home-court advantage throughout the playoffs.
The Celtics earned their 60th win of the season and got to that threshold before any other Eastern Conference team got to 50 wins. The Bucks are the next closest team with 47 wins.
