The Celtics Handle the Thunder 108-100
Nov 23, 2012; Boston, MA, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder point guard Russell Westbrook (0) drives the ball against Boston Celtics point guard Rajon Rondo (9) during the first quarter at the TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-US PRESSWIRE
This was a big game for both clubs as both need to inch closer into the top teams in their respective conferences in standings. Also this game provides a lot of meaning because this is the first game Jeff Green played against his former team. Little did the Thunder know, Jeff Green would play a crucial role for the Celtics this game.
The game really started off with both teams matching each other when it come to making shots. However Russell Westbrook really showed the Celtics why he is an elite player by nailing two three point shot and scoring eight points in the first twelve minutes of the game. He also accounted for another eleven points for the Thunder offense during the first quarter.
Nov 23, 2012; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Celtics power forward Kevin Garnett (5) reacts after his three point basket against the Oklahoma City Thunder during the second quarter at the TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-US PRESSWIRE
For the Celtics in the first quarter, the team received a huge spark from Jeff Green who contributed six points and the offense really revolved around Green during the late minutes of the first frame. Rajon Rondo added six assists in the first quarter but did failed to score a single point. It showed when the Thunder held the 28-21 lead after the first 12 minutes.
The second quarter started and the two teams once again showed a great showcase for the fans in Boston. However the Celtics received a huge boost from rookie Jared Sullinger. Sullinger scored all of his six points in the quarter and his hustle and defense was very noticeable. Rajon Rondo stepped up his scoring by hitting a open three late in the quarter and added a layup to add five points into his stat sheet.
The Thunder were much more quieter when it came to the offensive end as Russell Westbrook cooled off a bit and Durant missed a couple of shots within the quarter. Other than that, the Thunder offense looked a little stagnant and the Celtics defense looked very good. The Celtics took the 48-45 lead heading into halftime after Jason Terry hit a buzzer beating three point shot.
The third quarter opened up with Paul Pierce taking the Thunder by storm and scoring seven points in a 75-second span. The Celtics took a quick nine point lead and it became evident that the Celtics were hitting their stride. However led by Durant and Westbrook, the Thunder youth quickly ended any sort of Celtics run.
The Celtics during the mid-minutes of the quarter tended to differ into taking jump shots instead of attacking the basket. However once Jeff Green came in, the Celtics went to Green for some shots in the inside and Green used the free throw line to give the Celtics some quick points. With Green’s offensive burst scoring the Celtics’ last seven points in the quarter the Celtics jumped to a double digit lead and go into the fourth quarter with a 77-66 lead.
In the the beginning of the fourth quarter Boston held its hot play and kept their double digit with big three from Paul Pierce two minutes into the quarter. The Thunder kept fighting and kept the deficit manageable with the help from Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook. However Paul Pierce just lit up in the fourth quarter with his free throws. However the Thunder kept sticking to the Celtics and kept it very interesting till the end of the game. However with 36.7 seconds left, Jason Terry hits the dagger three which gives the Celtics a lead the Thunder couldn’t overcome and give the C’s a 108-100 win.