'All they could handle': Five takeaways from Thunder's gutty loss at Celtics

BOSTON — The Thunder went into Boston’s TD Garden, a madhouse on this Monday night, and forced the reigning Eastern Conference champs to sweat and slug their way to a 126-122 comeback win.

Nothing in OKC’s gritty 6-8 start has symbolized the young Thunder’s improvement more than what they did in Boston on the second night of a back-to-back.

“The atmosphere was good because of how we played,” Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said. “We squeezed them and gave them all they could handle.”

The Thunder led by as many as 15 points. OKC forced Jayson Tatum, an MVP candidate who sealed the game at the free throw line, into a 9-of-23 night. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the Thunder’s MVP, had his second 37-point game in as many nights.

“We had control of the game for much of the first three (quarters),” Daigneault said.

But Boston won the fourth 37-26 to win the game. The Celtics shot 14-of-21 (67%) in the final quarter, including 4-of-8 from 3-point range, with clutch makes from Marcus Smart, Payton Pritchard, Derrick White and Sam Hauser.

“I thought we lost a little poise there top to bottom, but it’s an experience we can learn from,” Daigneault said. “We’ve shown that kind of poise this season. It’s not like it’s not in us.”

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White and Pritchard combined for 26 points off Boston’s bench. Tatum led the Celtics with 27 points. Jaylen Brown had 26 and Smart, the former Cowboy, had 22 points and eight assists.

The Celtics’ stars, and the crazy home crowd, willed Boston to the win on a night when the Celtics weren’t at their best. But credit the Thunder, which had much to do with that.

“When we play to our identity, we can play with anybody,” Gilgeous-Alexander said.

Gilgeous-Alexander probably said something similar last season, but it wouldn’t have been true. This Thunder season has been different, though.

“Absolutely,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “I think we’re a better basketball team and better individuals across the board.”

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First-half firepower

The Thunder has averaged 72.7 points in the first half in its last three games: 70 vs. Toronto, 79 at New York and then 69 at Boston on Monday.

The Thunder shot 47% from the field, including 7-of-18 from the 3-point line in the first half. OKC was 10-of-11 from the foul line.

All five starters — Gilgeous-Alexander, Josh Giddey, Lu Dort, Jalen Williams and Aleksej Pokusevski — scored at least eight points.

All five starters finished with at least 14 points, and all of them played at least 33 minutes, which is no small feat given Daigneault’s unpredictable rotations.

“I thought it meshed well (against) that team,” Daigneault said of his starting lineup. “They got us off to a great start … That’s the pathway to winning a game like tonight. Obviously they closed it better than we did, but that group did a great job for us most of the night.”

It was the Thunder’s ninth starting lineup combination this season, and one we’ll probably see again.

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Poku’s improvement

Aleksej Pokusevski is no longer an NBA meme. He’s developing into a legitimate player.

Pokusevski had a terrific third quarter — a block against Tatum, a nice up-and-under and a 3-pointer at the top of the arc that forced a Celtics timeout.

Then came a scary fall. Pokusevski turned his ankle and looked to be in a lot of pain under the basket. Thunder trainers followed him into the locker room.

It looked like Poku’s night was over, but he returned three minutes later and said after the game that he feels fine.

Pokusevski didn’t look his best after returning from the fall, but it didn’t spoil what might have been his best game of the season.

He scored 16 points on 7-of-12 shooting, he secured a season-high 14 rebounds and had three blocks.

Pokusevski also guarded a former teammate in Celtics center Al Horford.

Horford was in Oklahoma City for Pokusevski’s rookie season.

“If you told me that two years later Poku would be playing 37 minutes and guarding Horford ... I would've checked to do a sobriety test,” Daigneault said.

File that one away. It’s the leader in the clubhouse for best Thunder quote of the season.

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Boston reunion for Mark Daigneault, Sam Presti

Daigneault wasn’t with the team when the Thunder played in Boston last November. He was at home with his wife, Ashley, who gave birth to their son, AJ, the day after interim coach Dave Bliss and the Thunder lost at TD Garden.

Daigneault grew up in Leominster, Massachusetts — 45 miles west of Boston.

“It’s home for me,” Daigneault said. “It’s great to be able to share these experiences with people I love. With that being said, the delivery room was great last year.”

The Thunder staff’s Boston roots run deep.

Thunder general manager Sam Presti, from Concord, Massachusetts, went to Emerson College in Boston. Will Dawkins and Rob Hennigan, both second to Presti in the front office hierarchy, are also Emerson graduates — remarkable for a school with 4,500 students.

“Emerson College is up the street …” a reporter said in Daigneault’s pregame press conference.

“Is it ever,” Daigneault said.

Daigneault referred to Presti, Dawkins and Hennigan as a “mafia.”

“It’s cool that they’ve grown up together the way that they have,” Daigneault said.

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Thunder tip-ins

➤ Second-overall pick Chet Holmgren (right foot surgery) is no longer wearing a boot when he goes through light shooting workouts. “His recovery is not behind or ahead from what’s normal,” Daigneault said. “It’s going really well, and you’re gonna see him do more and more as time goes on.

➤ “Those rehabs are dark when they’re that long,” Daigneault added. “He’s taking a great approach to it. He’s attacking it. He’s seeing the bigger picture, and it’s hard to do because we’re in MSG, we’re in the (Boston) Garden and he’s watching from the sidelines.”

➤ Darius Bazley (right ankle sprain) and Tre Mann (lower back soreness) were out for the Thunder.

➤ Malcolm Brogdon (right hamstring tightness) and Robert Williams III (left knee surgery) were out for the Celtics.

➤ The Celtics are now 15-14 all-time against the Thunder. Boston has won the last three meetings.

➤ Justin Jackson was the first Celtic on the floor for pregame warmups. Jackson played 33 games for the Thunder in 2020-21.

➤ The Thunder’s defense dropped from sixth to 15th after beating the Knicks 145-135 on Sunday. OKC’s offense jumped from 25th to 20th.

➤ On Sunday, Gilgeous-Alexander (3,905) passed Paul George on the Thunder’s all-time scoring list. SGA is fifth behind Russell Westbrook (18,859), Kevin Durant (15,942), Serge Ibaka (6,054) and Steven Adams (5,191).

➤ Santa Clara Jalen Williams scored a career-high 14 points. “I was impressed with him on both ends of the floor tonight,” Daigneault said. “He looked great.”

➤ Arkansas Jaylin Williams made his third NBA appearance.

➤ There were four Williamses who played: Jalen, Jaylin, Kenrich and Boston’s Grant.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Marcus Smart, Boston Celtics rally to beat Oklahoma City Thunder