Tonight’s game at TD Garden between the Boston Celtics and the Oklahoma City Thunder is the final regular season meeting between the last two NBA champions. It tips off at 7:30 p.m. ET and arrives with genuine stakes for both franchises.
The Thunder entered Wednesday at 57-15, leading the Western Conference by three games over the San Antonio Spurs. They have won 12 consecutive games, including a 123-103 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers on Monday, and carry an NBA-best 28-8 road record into Boston. Their hold on the West’s top seed is secure but not guaranteed, which gives this road game added weight.
The Celtics sit at 47-24, second in the Eastern Conference, just percentage points ahead of the New York Knicks for that seed. They are coming off a 102-92 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Sunday but had won four straight before that. At home, Boston has gone 24-11 this season, the third-best mark in the East. The atmosphere at TD Garden on a night like this tends to reflect the moment, and this one qualifies.
The two teams met earlier in the season on March 12 in Oklahoma City, with the Thunder winning 104-102. Boston is 79-69 all time against Oklahoma City and 40-29 in games played at home against them.
Jaylen Brown is carrying the Celtics
When Jayson Tatum made his season debut on March 6 after an extended absence, the question of how roles would shift became one of the more interesting subplots of Boston’s stretch run. The answer has been clear. Jaylen Brown is the Celtics’ primary option, and he has not let the team down.
Brown is having the best statistical season of his career, averaging 28.5 points, 7.0 rebounds, 5.1 assists, and 1.0 steals per game. Since Tatum’s return, Brown has continued to lead the offense, averaging 26.3 points on 18.8 field goal attempts per game. Tatum, still working his way back to full form, is averaging 19.1 points on 17.4 attempts during that same stretch. The hierarchy is established, and Brown has earned it.
Jalen Williams gives Oklahoma City a different dimension
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is in the conversation for his second consecutive Most Valuable Player award, and rightfully so. But the Thunder’s championship ceiling depends heavily on what Jalen Williams can provide when the stakes rise in the playoffs.
Williams returned from a hamstring injury in Monday’s win over Philadelphia, finishing with 18 points, six assists, and four rebounds across 20 minutes. His absence had stretched long enough that Oklahoma City won 11 straight games without him, which speaks to the depth of the roster. But the numbers make his value clear. The Thunder are 20-7 in games Williams starts, and he has averaged 17.5 points, 5.4 assists, and 4.7 rebounds on the season despite missing significant time. A healthy Williams makes Oklahoma City a different team in late April and May.
The broader Wednesday slate
Tonight’s 12-game schedule includes several other matchups with playoff implications. The Atlanta Hawks, winners of 13 of their last 14 games, visit the Detroit Pistons at 7 p.m. ET. The Miami Heat, currently ninth in the East, face the Cleveland Cavaliers at 7:30 p.m. ET, with Miami two games behind Atlanta for the final guaranteed playoff spot. The Houston Rockets visit the Minnesota Timberwolves at 9:30 p.m. ET in a game that could affect seeding across the middle of the Western Conference standings. At the other end of the table, the Washington Wizards face the Utah Jazz at 9 p.m. ET, with Washington having lost 16 consecutive games and Utah trying to protect a top-eight-protected draft pick heading into the lottery.