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The lowly OKC Thunder will face playoff contenders when they meet the Boston Celtics at TD Garden on Tuesday night. The encounter will be the second and last meeting between the two teams this season.
Their first encounter on March 27 ended with an easy 111-94 win for the Boston Celtics. It may not take much for the Celtics to duplicate that result, with the OKC Thunder currently on a 14-game losing streak. The longest losing streak this season is infamously owned by the Houston Rockets (20), but the Thunder could either duplicate or break that in the coming games.
The OKC Thunder have no intention of joining the playoff race. That’s not the case for the Boston Celtics, who are aiming for higher seeding in the Eastern Conference.
Match Details
Fixture - OKC Thunder vs Boston Celtics | 2020-21 NBA Season
Date & Time - Tuesday, April 27th, 7:00 PM ET (Wednesday, April 28th, 4:30 AM IST)
Venue - TD Garden, Boston, MA
OKC Thunder Preview
The OKC Thunder organization has made sure that their team has a good chance of winning the lottery next season, considering the way they have built this roster.
As the team prepares for the offseason with an eye toward the upcoming NBA Draft, the OKC Thunder are doing a good job of preparing for life after the 2020-21 season. With a 20-41 record, they are the fifth-worst team in the league but will want to increase their chances of winning the lottery, so we expect more losses to come, including this Boston Celtics game.
Key Player - Darius Bazley
Darius Bazley has developed into the OKC Thunder’s most consistent player recently. He started the season playing 30.7 minutes per game, scoring 11.9 points in 36 appearances.
However, since coming back from a shoulder injury that sidelined him for a month, the OKC Thunder forward has played in nine games and averaged 18.6 points and 6.9 rebounds in 33.1 minutes of action.
OKC Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault recently spoke about how happy he’s been with Bazley’s performances. He said:
“He’s just running hard, he’s defending hard. Obviously, we’re giving him defensive assignments that are filling his plate right now. And he’s on the glass, he’s getting an activity level into the game that, for a guy that’s 6’9” and strong and athletic, is impacting the game in a lot of ways.”
OKC Thunder Predicted Lineup
Point Guard - Theo Maledon l Shooting Guard - Kenrich Williams l Small Forward - Aleksej Okusevski l Power Forward - Darius Bazley l Center - Moses Brown
Boston Celtics Preview
The Boston Celtics have lost three of their last four games, but a date with a team that’s not interested in winning is just what the doctor ordered for them. With Kemba Walker and Jayson Tatum sidelined, Gang Green will face the perfect team to get them back on track.
After winning six straight games and seven of their last eight, the Boston Celtics have fallen on hard times again with a two-game losing streak. Jaylen Brown and Marcus Smart will have to carry them in the meantime, as they face a struggling OKC Thunder.
A win would give them a 33-29 record that would help fend off the Miami Heat, who are a half-game behind them in the Eastern standings.
Key Player - Jaylen Brown
Jaylen Brown has been shooting quite efficiently in the past seven games for the Boston Celtics. During that stretch, he’s making 54.5 percent of his shots from the floor overall while knocking down 42.3 percent from beyond the arc. He’s also averaging 26.4 points per game as he continues to justify his first All-Star appearance.
The 24-year-old is still developing into a player who can carry a team on his shoulders, so this matchup with the OKC Thunder will be a good training ground for him, with Tatum and Walker out.
Boston Celtics Predicted Lineup
Point Guard - Marcus Smart l Shooting Guard - Evan Fournier l Small Forward - Jaylen Brown l Power Forward - Semi Ojeleye l Center - Tristan Thompson
Thunder vs Celtics Match Prediction
The OKC Thunder have players who work hard and are well-coached. Unfortunately, there’s not enough talent on the team to compete for four quarters.
The Boston Celtics will win this easily and hand the OKC Thunder their 15th loss in a row.
Where to watch Thunder vs Celtics
The game between the OKC Thunder and Boston Celtics will be televised locally by Bally Sports Oklahoma and NBC Sports Boston. For international audiences, the match will be available on the NBA League Pass.
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