On January 3, Beijing time, in the NBA regular season, the Thunder narrowly defeated the Celtics 127-123 at home. The Thunder snapped a five-game winning streak while ending the Celtics' six-game winning streak.
Thunder's Alexander 36 points, 6 rebounds and 7 assists, Keady 23 points, 8 rebounds and 6 assists, Holmgren 14 points, 7 assists and 4 blocks, Jalen Williams 16 points, 3 steals and 2 blocks, Joe 10 points, Celtics Tatum 30 points, 13 rebounds and 8 assists, Brown 15 points and 6 rebounds, Porzingis 34 points, 10 rebounds and 3 blocks, White 19 points, 5 rebounds and 6 assists, Horford 7 points and 5 blocks.
In the first quarter of the game, Alexander made a jumper from the free throw line, Williams and Holmgren teamed up to grab points, Porzingis scored an empty shot, and White's three-point shot tied the game at six. Giddey and Alexander hit three three-pointers in a row from the outside, and Alexander's pick-and-roll basket also scored, while Porzingisli scored eight straight points on a burst outside and Holiday also scored from distance, and the two teams were deadlocked at 17. Alexander flew to the basket, Dort threw in a three-pointer, Giddey hit a step-back jumper and Joe added another three-pointer to give the Thunder a 27-19 lead. Tatum scored from mid-range, and Hauser and Horford both fired from the outside to help the Celtics close the score. Alexander's mid-range jumper helped the Thunder stabilize the situation on the court. At the end of the quarter, the Thunder led 31-29.
In the second quarter, Williams hit a long-range shot, Dort hit a board, and Micic's three-pointer also scored, and the Thunder took the advantage again at 41-32. Porzingis made an easy layup, Pritchard threw in an open three-pointer, and the Celtics went on a 9-0 run to tie the score at 41. Williams received the ball for a layup, Joe fired from the outside, Giddey and Alexander also teamed up to steal points, Porzingis hit a strong basket, White completed a dragon, Holiday hit a long-range shot, Brown contributed a dunk, and the two teams tied the court at 52. Tatum showed great individual ability, scoring nine straight points on his own, Wallace scored a mid-range jumper, Alexander drove to the basket, and Holmgren returned the color with a hook shot. At halftime, the Celtics led 61-58.
In the third quarter, Williams and Holmgren scored three points in a row, Alexander hit the basket in a row, Dort's mid-range shot, Porzingis hit the basket in a row, and White hit a long-range shot, and the Thunder took a narrow lead of 70-68. Giddey scored nine straight points on a burst from the floor, Alexander made a layup, Wiggins and Giddey continued to attack, and the Thunder took a 10-point advantage at 85-75. Alexander's step-back three-pointers were added, Giddey and Alexander continued to steal points with jumpers, Alexander's corner three-pointers continued to show their power, and the Thunder played well on the court, ending the quarter with a 98-86 lead.
In the final quarter of the game, Williams and Wallace made consecutive three-pointers, Williams continued to burst on the court and combined with unstoppable shots, and the Thunder were in excellent condition on the court, continuing to stretch the score 108-90. Horford countered with a dunk, White hit two three-pointers from the outside, Tatum made a layup, and the Celtics tied the score at 102-110. Holmgren hit a three-pointer to help the Thunder stabilize the situation, Tatum hit back-to-back baskets, and Brown's second attack put the Celtics up 110-116. Holmgren hit a long-range shot, Porzingis hit a three-pointer and White's step-back three-pointer put the Celtics up to 119-121. Williams hit a key mid-range shot to give the Thunder a 123-119 lead. In the final moments, the Celtics had to resort to foul play, Giddey made 2-of-2 free throws, and Porzingis then hit a big two-pointer to give the Thunder a 125-123 lead. With 2.8 seconds left, the Celtics drew another tactical foul and Alexander made 2-of-2 free throws to give the Thunder a 127-123 lead. There was no suspense in the next game, and the Thunder won smoothly.
Starting lineup
Thunder: Dort, Williams, Holmgren, Giddey, Alexander
Celtics: Brown, Tatum, Porzingis, White, Holiday