In a matter of 24.7 seconds, Oklahoma City’s momentum from their six-game win streak was zapped.
It turns out March Madness extends to the NBA. No, I’m not talking about the crazy Celtics comeback in the final minute of play. I’m referencing the utter ugliness that we experienced for virtually the entire 48 minutes of Tuesday night’s matchup in Boston.
Like TNT’s announcers said after the game, Oklahoma City should be embarrassed by their play tonight. Matching up against a Celtics team without two starters and a key bench piece should have presented the OKC Thunder an opportunity to rest their starters by the end of the game. Instead they played down to their competition, much like we’ve seen all season.
Everything was fine through the first quarter. The Thunder didn’t play their best defense, but they did just enough to hold a brittle Boston team to 18 points in the frame. Yet as the game wore on so did their intensity on both ends of the floor, culminating in a near-impossible mental breakdown.
Two Russell Westbrook free throws pushed Oklahoma City’s lead to 6 with 24.7 seconds left. A Jayson Tatum 2-pointer plus a missed free throw from Russ put the Thunder’s lead at 5 with 16.8 seconds. At this point it seemed almost impossible they could blow this game. But that’s exactly what happened.
Westbrook failed to get a hand up on a Terry Rozier three, cutting the Thunder’s lead to two. Carmelo Anthony proceeded to miss 2 free throws to give Boston a little over 7 seconds and a chance to end the game. Enter: Marcus Morris.
This one hurts more than it should. Even though they played poorly, the Thunder had this game virtually wrapped up. There’s simply no reason for a veteran-laden team to mentally breakdown in the manner that they did. The good news is they have two days to get their act together before the Miami Heat come to town.
Now onto the player grades.